In 1972, Title IX—a federal civil rights law—removed barriers for girls and women in education and sports. Since Title IX’s passage, female participation in sports at the high school level has grown by 1057 percent and by 614 percent at the college level. It has accelerated change and created a legacy of diverse women leading on and off the court and playing field.
"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.”
WHEN THEY GROW UP
Fortune estimates that 95 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs played sports. While only 6 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are women, the proportion of women CEOs who were athletes is similar—90 percent of them played sports at some point, and 54 percent played sports at the university level.
Starting in 2021, we will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Title IX leading up to Minneapolis playing host to the premiere women’s sporting event, the NCAA Women’s Final Four in April 2022.
