Introduced by Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) on the 45th anniversary of the enactment of Title IX, the Patsy T. Mink Gender Equity in Education Act (GEEA) seeks to provide more resources for educational institutions to implement Title IX.
Originally passed in 1972, Title IX prohibits discrimination by federally funded education programs based on sex. To learn more about Title IX and why it is vital that it is fully implemented, please read the “9 Questions and Answers About Title IX All Engineers Should Know” blog post published earlier this year on AllTogether.
While passed over three decades ago, the need to fully implement Title IX still remains urgent to ensure equality for women, especially in engineering and technology education programs where women are underrepresented.
According to the press release issued by Senator Hirono’s office, the GEEA legislation would “provide resources, training, and technical assistance to fully implement Title IX and reduce and prevent sex discrimination in all areas of education, by:
- Establishing an Office of Gender Equity in the U.S. Department of Education to coordinate activities within the Department and among other federal agencies;
- Combating discrimination, harassment, bias, and violence based on sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions;
- Supporting Title IX coordinators with annual training;
- Providing competitive grants to K-12 schools, institutions of higher education, local educational agencies, or states as the primary applicants, with the option to partner with organizations with relevant expertise;
- Including evaluation and assessment of how applicants improve on indicators of gender equity; and
- Disseminating resources and best practices nationwide.”
In supporting this piece of legislation, SWE joins with the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Human Rights Campaign (HRC), National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity, National Women’s Law Center, Clearinghouse on Women’s Issues, Feminist Majority Foundation, Girls, Inc., National Organization for Women, National Women’s Political Caucus, and Stop Sexual Assault in Schools.
Additional Resources & Primary Sources:
- SWE’s General Position Statement on the Application of Title IX to the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Fields.
Full text of Senate Bill #3147 Patsy T. Mink Gender Equity in Education Act (GEEA)
