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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 Foundatio...
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