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WHEREAS, Title IX, also known as the "Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act," was passed by Congress and enacted by the federal government in 1972; and
WHEREAS, since that time, the number of girls participating in interscholastic high school athletics has increased significantly; however, a large gap remains between the number of high school girls and the number of high school boys playing competitive sports; and
WHEREAS, this imbalance is greatest in urban schools, where 73% of the boys, but only 45% of the girls, in grades 3-12 are involved in athletics, a disparity that affects girls of color most significantly; and
WHEREAS, even where girls have the opportunity to play, in many districts they receive inferior equipment, uniforms, fields, facilities, coaching, publicity, scheduling, and transportation compared to their male counterparts; and
WHEREAS, City Council is committed to ensuring equity in athletics in our City, because participation in organized sports improves leadership skills, opens doors for college scholarships, and correlates with better grades, a better chance of graduating and getting a job, and lower rates of depression, drug and alcohol use, smoking, teen pregnancy, and obesity; and
WHEREAS, forty years after the enactment of Title IX, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed its own landmark legislation, the Equity in Interscholastic Athletics Disclosure Bill, on June 30, 2012 to advance gender equality in educational opportunities. Pennsylvania will join Kentucky, Georgia, and New Mexico in requiring secondary schools to disclose basic information that will help inform students, parents, and community members of whether their schools may be in violation of Title IX; and
WHEREAS, City Council wishes to congratulate a coalition of advocates for women's equality who, working together with State Senator Mary Jo White and State Representative Tim Briggs, include the Women's Law Project, Women & Girls Foundation of Southwest Pennsylvania, the American Association of University Women, the Business & Professional Women of PA, and the Girl Scouts for working so diligently over several years to successfully pass this law which will require all public high schools, middle schools, and junior high schools in Pennsylvania to report annually the number of athletic opportunities they provide to girls and boys, broken down further by race or ethnicity, as well as other data that may reflect the quality of the athletic programming offered.
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THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh designates July 17, 2012 as Athletic Equity Day in support and celebration of the Women's Law Project, State Senator Mary Jo White and State Representative Tim Briggs, the Women and Girls Foundation of Southwest Pennsylvania, and the many advocates who triumphantly led this effort on behalf of women and girls in our community.