President’s Message continued from page 1
Clark’s success serves as an important reminder of the success made in the fight for gender equality in athletics. She was rated number one in the recent basketball professional draft and is on her way to a professional career. It is important to note that not only Catlin Clark able to rise in women athletics. Many other women like Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, Kanilla Cardosa, and Aziaha James were leaders in their universities and won championship games at March Madness.
Statistics prove that there have been great improvements. Thanks to Title IX, women make up over 56 percent of America’s college students, women hold 48 percent of tenure track positions, and the number of female athletics climbed more than 10 times. In 1972, only 700 high school girls played on school teams; in 2018, the number of girls rose to 280,00. But there is much more work to be done. AAUW’s research revealed that two thirds of college students experience sexual harassment. Girls have 2 million fewer chances to play sports in high school than boys and the number is much less for African American and Hispanic girls. Title IX not only covers athletics but applies to many areas of education. Other upsetting statistics are that only 21 percent of engineering majors and 19 percent of computer science majors are women. AAUW and its partner organizations have serious work to do. (Refer to the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund www.aauw.org/resources/legal/laf/)
In summary, so many more girls and women are succeeding in sports and other educational opportunities. It was so exciting to watch the women collegiate championships in March and hear the crowded university stadiums cheering for their star performers. It will be wonderful to watch Caitlin Clark and other leading seniors rise in their professional careers. It is important, however, not to ignore the many girls and women that have not benefitted from the equality requirements written in Title IX. Throughout the country, AAUW is monitoring high school Title IX programs and are finding continued discrimination. The National AAUW is working on strategies to strengthen their fight to improve and spread the effects of Title IX by working with many education coalitions. It is important that AAUW members continue our support of Title IX and its fight for women’s equity.
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