Since the Feminist Majority Foundation’s Education Equity program was formed a year ago, it has been on the forefront of the fight to save and strengthen Title IX. In celebration of its first successful year, FMF has launched a website designed to highlight the benefits from, and the continued need for Title IX. The site will help the public learn how to advance gender equity through an increased understanding of Title IX. At its full potential, Title IX can be used to fight against sex discrimination in all aspects and levels of education ranging, from athletics to vocational education, pre-school play to college faculty pay. The site will also enable visitors to become a Title IX Activist to protect Title IX from those who are trying to weaken its regulations and guidelines. “A key reason we established our Education Equity Program in October 2003 is to preserve and promote Title IX,” said FMF President Eleanor Smeal. “Since we still don’t have the comprehensive Equal Rights Amendment, we need vigorous attention to Title IX to protect against sex discrimination in many aspects of education.” Dr. Sue Klein became FMF’s first Education Equity Director last year after working for the Department of Education for 34 years. Klein is spearheading two major initiativesÑbuilding the Title IX Action Network, and putting together the research-based Handbook for Achieving Gender Equity through Education. Klein hopes the website will help visitors understand that Title IX focuses on much more than athletics, and that its full coverage is not limited to educational institutions. The site will also publicize consistent attempts made to weaken equality in education, such as the current proposal from the Department of Education to allow extensive sex segregation by altering the Title IX regulations. Careful analysis shows that the Education Department’s proposed changes would instead contribute to increased sex discrimination and gender stereotyping. Another looming threat is the pending confirmation of Thomas Griffith for the appellate court in Washington, DC. While serving on the Title IX Athletics Commission, Griffith opposed important Title IX athletic proportionality guidelines. Most recently, Griffith received a low rating from the American Bar Association for practicing law without a license. The new website will also allow users to submit links to other gender equity resources on the web, sign up to be kept informed as a Title IX Activist, and to obtain important federal documents related to Title IX. LEARN MORE by visiting the new Education Equality website SIGN UP to receive important updates and action alerts from the Title IX Action Network DONATE to support FMF’s work to achieve gender equality in education
###For Immediate Release
October 5, 2004
