Title IX: Keep Yourself Protected
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin is illegal. Seems simple enough? Fast forward to the year 1972; the Education Amendments of 1972 were created. These amendments stated that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” If the Civil Rights Act was supposed to protect on the basis of sex, why didn’t it?
Let’s look at the facts: women have always had a hard time not being discriminated against. Women didn’t even get the right to vote until 1920, years after the Women’s Suffrage movement. When World War II struck, it was “patriotic” and “admirable” that women were joining the workforce. It was somewhat of a push for women to be more expressive and not discriminated against. With Rosie the Riveter on our side, who could stop us?
Well, apparently, men can. After the war was over, it was back to the kitchen and back to submission. Women were still not enough. Finally, not being enough caused us to have enough of what society was marketing us as. Colloquially coined as “The Second Wave of Feminism”, women decided to fight for more than just enfranchisement. Women no longer wanted to be prepped for motherhood. Instead, they wanted careers and a chance to be equal in the workplace. They also, while going to school, wanted the same opportunities their male counterparts were granted, thus creating the Education Amendments of 1972.
Now, as of 2019, why is there an influx of women using the Title IX law to protect themselves? The obvious states that it is there for the very reason of protection, but now it has taken on a different approach. In the new era of the 2010’s Title IX became a way for girls on both secondary and post-secondary campuses to protect themselves against sexual assault. Title IX not only protects against discrimination, but also against women being labeled as the cause or motive behind the assault. As required through Title IX, your college/ university campus or school district is required to provide you with an unbiased and adequate investigation. With this investigation, both the potential victim and potential assailant are provided with the opportunity to present themselves and their side of the story, as well as with witnesses and evidence. With Title IX, your rights are protected under many other Title Laws, such as Title VI and Title II, along with many others.
Under Title VI, you are protected from being discriminated against with the use of your Title IX rights on the basis of race, nationality, disability or sexuality. With Title II, if mental health concerns arise as a result of being sexually assaulted on campus, you cannot, under law, “be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of services, programs, or activities of a public entry, or be subjected to discrimination by any such entity.” Other policies and measures that have been put in place, such as The Clergy Act, The Campus Save Act, Campus Accountability & Safety Act, and Yes Means Yes/ Affirmative Consent Standard are other resources you can use, along with Title IX, to keep yourself and your livelihood protected in an ever-changing society. Title IX has, and will continue, to protect and serve as a resource for women that need it. As for those that have never encountered an event in which they would need to use it, it is important to know your rights and how and why they protect you. A simple read-up on your rights could save you and those around you from vulnerabilities and mistreatment.
