Sec. 2. Findings
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Congress finds the following: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 ( 20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) (in this Act referred to as title IX ) and the implementing regulations of title IX prohibit sex discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities. Although title IX ensures equal opportunities to participate in athletics, female participation rates, especially for girls of color, lag far behind male participation rates. A 2012 report by the National Women’s Law Center indicates that only 64 percent of Black girls, 64 percent of Hispanic girls, and 53 percent of Asian-American girls play sports, compared to 76 percent of White girls.
Female student athletes have been found to have higher levels of self-esteem and to be more likely to graduate from high school than female students who do not play sports. Although the availability of athletic scholarships facilitates access to higher education, many schools fail to award proportional athletic financial aid to women, which can affect their long-term employment outcomes and economic security. Although title IX ensures gender equity in career and technical education, women are severely underrepresented in nontraditional fields.
A 2017 study by the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education reports that women make up more than 80 percent of workers with training or certification in historically women-dominated occupations that pay less than $30,000 per year, including child care, early childhood education, home care, and cosmetology. Women also represent less than 40 percent of workers trained or certified in high-paying and historically male-dominated fields, including transportation, advanced manufacturing, and construction.
Although title IX ensures gender equity in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (in this section referred to as STEM ) education, women are disproportionately lost at nearly every stage of the STEM pipeline. A 2017 National Student Clearinghouse report confirms that the percentage of women earning STEM degrees has decreased over the past decade, with women earning 21 percent of engineering bachelor's degrees, 19 percent of computing bachelor's degrees, 42 percent of mathematics bachelor's degrees, and 39 percent of physical science bachelor’s degrees.
In 2014, women of color earned only 7 percent of computing bachelor's degrees and 6 percent of engineering bachelor’s degrees. Although title IX prohibits sex discrimination in employment in federally funded education programs, a 2018 report by the American Association of Women found that women comprise only 36 percent of tenured faculty and 30 percent of university presidents. A 2013 National Science Foundation report confirms that women only hold 29 percent of all tenured and tenure-track positions and 21 percent of full professor positions in STEM fields, Black and Hispanic women together hold only 2.6 percent of all tenured and tenure-track positions and 1.2 percent of full professor positions in STEM fields, and Asian-American women hold only 3.6 percent of all tenured and tenure-track positions and 1.7 percent of full professor positions in STEM fields.
Although title IX protects against sexual and sex-based harassment and violence, more than 50 percent of girls and 40 percent of boys in grades 7 through 12 experience sexual harassment each year, and approximately 10 percent of high school students experience dating violence each year. A 2015 Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network report indicates that 85 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (referred to in this section as LGBTQ ) students have experienced verbal harassment based on a personal characteristic, and nearly 66 percent have experienced LGBTQ-related discrimination at school.
Research has shown that LGBTQ students who experience harassment at school are more likely to experience depression and anxiety, to engage in unhealthy and antisocial behaviors, and to have more unexcused absences from school. Although title IX guarantees access to medical leave, the availability of accommodations for pregnancy-related conditions, and the availability of enrollment in school-related activities for pregnant and parenting students, numerous studies have found that pregnancy and parenting are the leading reasons that females drop out of high school.
A 2012 report from the National Women's Law Center shows that only 51 percent of teenage mothers earn a high school diploma by the age of 22, compared with 89 percent of women who do not have a child during their teenage years, limiting continuing opportunities for education and employment. Although title IX protects against discrimination based on stereotypes of actual or perceived sex, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation, many people carry implicit or unconscious biases that can unintentionally influence attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and decisionmaking processes.
Research has shown that unconscious biases can impact classroom environments, teaching methods, student evaluations, disciplinary practices, and career and counseling guidance, particularly for students who are pursuing nontraditional fields.
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