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June 17, 2022
A Title IX Anniversary Coalition – composed of the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative (BJKLI), Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF), the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) and other US organizations – have launched a national campaign calling for stronger protections and enforcement of the Title IX legislation. Demand IX commemorates the upcoming 50th anniversary of the ground-breaking law in the United States that prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
Although the law isn’t specific to sports, it has greatly contributed to efforts to help ensure equal access for women and girls in sports. However, there is still much more that needs to be done according to a lot of women-focused organizations such as WSF. This new campaign seeks to educate and empower people with the tools to demand more robust Title IX protection and enforcement.
Its main purpose is to coordinate efforts and galvanize the impact of individual Title IX Anniversary projects into one campaign that will amplify all efforts and provide opportunities for public participation. Locally, the campaign aims to educate and inspire through downloadable resources. Interactive social media tools to advocate for stronger protections and push leaders to live up to the promise of Title IX are accessible via the campaign website.
“Title IX is one of the most important pieces of legislation of the twentieth century,” said tennis icon and BJKLI and WSF Founder, Billie Jean King. “It is a law that speaks to the importance of gender equity in this country and stands as a benchmark of global significance.”
Demand IX also wants to collect one million signatures for the Coalition so that it can “create a powerful voice to take to Congress and other policymakers to demand more robust Title IX protection and enforcement”. Over 70 campaign partners have already signed the national petition, including Athleta, Athletes for Impact, Ford Foundation, Human Rights Campaign, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, the National Women’s Soccer League, United Nations Foundation and Victim Rights Center.
“While Title IX opened up doors for many, there are still systemic barriers to education, especially for girls and women of color, LGBTQI+ students, individuals from rural or low-income communities, and people with disabilities,” said Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center. “Demand IX seeks to educate, inspire, and empower millions of people with the tools they need to fight to secure Title IX’s promise for gender equity and fairness for everyone in schools.”
“Students are the future of this legislation – they are the backbone and champions needed to ensure that equitable access to sports and educational opportunities prevail,” said Danette Leighton, CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation. “We all have a responsibility to use our voice to ensure we build a more fair and just society for generations of girls and women.”
The BJKLI was founded in 2014 by Billie Jean King and tennis champion Ilana Kloss. BJKLI works to create a world where workplaces are free of discrimination and inequality through education and raising awareness of the issues that face women in sports. Billie Jean King founded the WSF in 1974 to advance the lives of women and girls through sports and physical activity. The NWLC fights for gender justice across issues that are central to the lives of women and girls. For nearly 50 years, it has been on the leading edge of every major US legal and policy victory for women.
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