As Girls Become Women, Sports Pay Dividends

By: Nadia Higgins
Kin 338I S6

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/15/as-girls-become-women-sports-pay-dividends/

This article is an example how Title IX continues to bring encouraging results to women through sports and reminds society how far women have come since 1972. One of the topics in this article that stood out for me was the analysis done by Dr. Betsey Stevenson who studied the result of women in sports and role this played on their education and employment. It is incredible to me that by allowing women to participate in sports, in the1970's, would result in a 20 percent rise in education and a 40 percent rose in women in the workforce. This highlights the enormous effect that Title IX had almost immediately on women and how it continues to have on women through sport. Another topic in the NY Times article was the study done by Robert Kaestner who compared the obesity rates and physical activity to women in the 1970's, when Title IX was being introduced, to the women in earlier years. This showed the connection between physical activity and obesity which showed a constructive result on fighting obesity and women living healthier lives. For me this article was a bittersweet reminder of the progression of women, not only in the sporting world, but in society as a whole. It shows how far women have come to gain successes in sports, but disheartening that they still do not enjoy the same benefits as men. Even though Title IX is in place there is an discrimination of women in regards to sponsorships, sports coverage, salaries, coaching and respect in the sporting world. Successful strides have been made for women, but there is still a long road ahead for equality in society.