As Title IX Marks 50 Years, Inequality Still Exists

By Lois Elfman

While no one can deny the progress that women’s sports have made since Title IX became law in June 1972, the stark reality of intercollegiate athletics were laid bare at last year’s NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. A Tik Tok video posted by Sedona Prince, a player from the University of Oregon, showed that the women’s weight room for all the athletes—the women’s and men’s tournaments both took place in bubbles due to the pandemic—consisted of one small rack of free weights and some yoga mats. Images of the men’s weight room showed a fully equipped gym. Other disparities were subsequently showcased in everything from food to swag bags.

Title IX is a federal civil rights law stating that any education program receiving federal financial assistance cannot discriminate in allocation of those funds based on gender. While this is not limited to athletics, sports have largely been the focus. The NCAA website states, “Title IX requires the equal treatment of female and male student-athletes.”