Sex Discrimination
Introduction
The history of sex discrimination dates back to the United States, where it had taken root in almost every economic sector. Consequently, many agencies came to the fore to air out their grievances as the vice became increasingly uncontrollable. The phenomenon will discuss the originality of gender discrimination in depth. At the same time, keen to state the contribution of title ix to combat its spread, after that, give the pros and cons of employing title ix in various institutions in the US.
Before the enactment of title ix in the United States, there was an increase in gender discrimination, especially against women that had a devastating effect in athletic, educational sectors. In the sports arena, female athletes were not spared either. Their male counterparts got the lion’s share of the opportunities while they could only afford a few chances. In 1906, the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA) was created mainly to govern men’s football (Bartholet et al, 2017). However, instead of enforcing men’s football rules and formatting their governance, it adamantly went overboard. The agency unprecedented became a ruling board of all college athletics in the country. Women bore the brunt of being treated secondary and more, so their athletic scholarships programs denied.
Additionally, NCAA did not see the need to organize for women’s championships team, and as a result, they lacked funding, sports facilities, and supplies. Subsequently, in 1972, only 30 000 women participated in the sporting program organized by NCAA, contrary to more than 170,000 men (Bartholet et al, 2017). The number did not go well with the women’s management team as they resorted to fighting these imbalances.
In 1972, the US federal government sought to enact a law to help prevent sex discrimination in the sports sector, specifically in athletics and in education spheres. The law commonly referred to as Title ix was to drive this radical agenda (Melnick, 2018). The amendment of title ix education in June 1972 and signed by President Nixon into law came as a reprieve to the ever marginalized group of women in the United States. Upon its amendment title ix stated that; ‘No person in the United States shall be based on sex be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” (Melnick, 2018). Therefore, title ix advocated for equal gender rights to every person in the United States that benefits from federal funding programs such as education, sports activities, amongst other financial assistance. It was crafted in such a way that imbalances witnessed in various organizations do not take root in the social setups as this could enhance gender discrimination.
With women feeling the hit in this whole scenario than men and especially in athletics, the role of title ix was to enhance equality. Although the law did not expressly advocate for equal funding for athletics for both males and females, it was created to enforce rules for fair and balanced quality resources accessibility. Furthermore, the passage of title ix meant that both men and female programs devoted to contributing the same resources towards the healthy running of operations. They include medical treatments, locker rooms, training, equipment, coaching, practice facilities, travel allowances, recruitment, and tutoring, among other activities. Besides, Scholarship funding was to be planned on commensurate budgeting. For example, if 50 percent of an athletic scholarship was to be was apportioned to the men, the same was to be replicated to the women funding basket (Bartholet et al, 2017).
Benefits of Title ix in Athletics and Education Fronts
The signing into law of title ix was not only a relief to discriminated women in athletics but also in education sectors. The rules have shaped operations in different organizations in the United States (Melnick, 2018). For example, title ix has resulted in a reduction of sexual harassment cases besides athletics program accessibility. The law opened a window for all schools funded by the federal state to provide equal convenience to an institution’s resources for both males and females. The deployment of this strategy has far and wide come with its pros witnessed in various facets of life. They include (McDonald, 2017):
- Equality in education accessibility- before the signing into law of title ix, most women athletics programs like scholarships were directed to men. However, the enactment of the statute saw many women receive these opportunities. Additionally, schools opened doors for diversity and equality; thus, up today, more women and men are enrolling for education programs in different carriers.
- Increased opportunities for women- In 2012, the United States managed to send more female athletes in the Olympics than their male counterparts(Bartholet et al, 2017). Consequently, they brought home more gold medals to the surprise of many people. According to McDonald (2017), in 1972, nearly 30,000 women managed to participate in sports sponsored by NCAA. It was almost half of the number of male athletes. Currently, about 50,000 women participate in these highly coveted sports programs (McDonald, 2017). Thus script is being changed as women increasingly get these opportunities.
- Reduction in student expulsion- the introduction of title ix put to halt removal of female students seen to have other home responsibilities. However, today schools have programs that cater to these groups of students.
Drawbacks of Title ix
Besides increased opportunities title ix has offered to the women in a bid to reduce sex discrimination, some disadvantages suffice.
- The focus of title ix is inclined towards using the language “sex” as opposed to “gender.” In education sectors, it does not apply to intersex, non- binary transgender individuals(McDonald, 2017).
- The move has seen new education programs put more budget for female students in universities instead of balanced the financial kit.
- It has enhanced the rapid growth of sexual violence in colleges as both male and female students mostly socialize equally and daily.
In conclusion, title ix contributed significantly to the reduction of sex discrimination in almost all spheres of socialization. Today, women in both education and sports sectors get equal opportunities to participate in activities without being stigmatized by their male counterparts. Although title ix has created equality in education fronts, vices such as sexual harassment and inequality in money allocation still abound. Therefore, proper strategies such as having a balanced financial budget for all genders need to be institutionalized to curb these shortcomings for title ix to work effectively.
References
Bartholet, E., Gertner, N., Halley, J. E., & Gersen, J. S. (2017). Fairness for all students under Title IX.
McDonald, M. G. (2017). Traveling discourses of Title IX: Gender and sport for development in an era of securitized interests. Third World Thematics: A TWQ Journal, 2(1), 37-53.
Melnick, R. S. (2018). The Transformation of Title IX: Regulating Gender Equality in Education. Brookings Institution Press.