Women in Education by Megan Yourgalite

14th Amendment 1868 (Constitutional Law)

myourgalite — 2021-06-28 00:25:33 UTC

The 14th Amendment helps to provide the foundation for educational equity. The amendment specifically states "No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States;... nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws" (U.S. Const. Amend. XIV). Stating that, if you are a citizen, you have rights, in this case, rights to an education no matter who you are.

This is the start of women being recognized as a citizen which includes their right to an equal, quality education to that of men.

This amendment is important to my educational journey in that it provides a foundation for education equity for all. This amendment states that citizens have rights, and having a quality education is a right. Therefore, women, who are citizens, have the right to a quality education that is equal to that of men. Providing me with the right to a quality education. I was able to go to school knowing that I will receive the same education as everyone else, it would not be determined based on my gender. I also continued into higher education and was given equal opportunity to be accepted into an institution based off my skills and not overlooked because I was a women.

Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA) 1974 (Statutory Law)

myourgalite — 2021-06-28 00:25:53 UTC

The Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA) looked to improve programs and curriculum, career counseling, and expand programs that informed of the opportunities and roles of women (Women's Educational Equity Act of 1974, (Title IV, 20 USC § 408).

This is where we start to see more of the male and female roles come together. There is movement to bring to reality that women can perform in male roles and vice versa.

This is important to my educational journey in that it made sure that schools were not sex-role stereotyping careers and roles for women and men. It helped me realize growing up that I could pursue any path that I wanted to. This allowed me to follow my educational interests and participate in more math and science courses which may have previously been associated with male students. I was able to grow as a learner and not be tied down to only some paths that were meant more for women.

Title IX of the Education Amendments 1972 (Statutory Law)

myourgalite — 2021-06-28 00:26:08 UTC

Title IX states that "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance" ((Education Amendments Act of 1972) Title IX, 20 USC §1681 - 1688). This ensures that schools will work to address any incidents that indicate that someone was discriminated against based on their gender.

Gender equality is seen more during this time, however, there was a need to develop this law in order to protect women in schools and work place. This way their rights will be protected.

This impacted my educational journey in that it assured that I was not excluded from participation in any programs due to my gender. It gave me peace of mind that if I were to be discriminated against, this title made sure that schools would address the issue and do what they could to prevent the issue from happening again. I was able to confidently participate in academic UIL events knowing that I could compete against all of my peers, no matter the gender. Along with the reassurance that my level of performance would be based off my skills, not my gender.

Dear Colleague Letter on Title IX Coordinators 2015 (Administrative Law)

myourgalite — 2021-06-28 00:26:16 UTC

This Dear Colleague Letter looked to show the importance and need for a Title IX Coordinator. This person is needed in the school setting to ensure that all students, parents, teacher, and school staff are aware of their rights and legal obligation under Title IX. The Title IX Coordinator looks to make sure sex-discrimination is not seen at their institution and if there is a case that it is investigated and it does not happen again. This letter states that schools need to be sure their Title IX Coordinators are successful in that they are supported, trained, understand their responsibilities and look to provide equal educational opportunities for all students (Dear Colleague Letter, 2015).

Here, schools realized the need for someone to be sure women were protected in their educational journey. As women continue to progress in education, there is still a need to be sure they are not discriminated against.

This was important to my educational journey because it provided someone to be sure Title IX was set in place, followed and taken seriously. That there was a person to hold people accountable and make sure that there would not be any sex-discrimination issues. This was evident in my educational journey. Specifically in college, we received emails highlighting our rights under Title IX, who to contact should we need to report an issue, along with tips and advice for relationships and situations. This helped to inform me and reassure me of an opportunity to an equal education and that everyone around me was also aware of Title IX.

Seneca Falls Convention (1848)

myourgalite — 2021-06-28 00:26:26 UTC

The Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 was intended to bring attention to the fact that men had better access to facilities and more opportunities to an education than women. Some of these women that participated in the convention received some education and realized the importance of education for women and how valuable it could be. These women wanted to see that there was equality in education and that women had the same educational opportunities. Such as, access to the same programs to participate in and institutions to attend (Dentith, 2016).

Here, women are able to receive some educational opportunities. However, they lack the opportunity to be in the same education setting as men.

This specifically impacted me because their convention sparked others concern. Leading to me being able to attend the same credible institutions as men as well as participate in nationally recognized programs, the same opportunity that men have. Had these women not fought for women's educational right, no one would have thought differently about women in education. I might have been in a situation where women would still be thought of as a homemaker and only in need of those skills and nothing more.

Stanton v. Stanton 1975 (Judicial Law)

myourgalite — 2021-06-28 00:26:35 UTC

The outcome of this supreme court case declared Utah's assumption that women reached adulthood at age 18 and men at 21 a violation. This determined that women did not need as much education to continue onto adulthood, ending their education early without choice (Stanton v. Stanton, 421 US 7 (1975)). Leading to a violation of equal protection which is “denying people of their governing laws and not treating individuals in the same manner as others in similar circumstances” (Cornell Law School, n.d., para. 1).

This is where we start to see more women continue into higher education. It starts to diminish the idea that women only need education up until a certain age.

Even though this case was in Utah, it impacts my education because this could have been an issue in the states that I have lived in, Pennsylvania and Texas. The outcome of this case assured that I did not have to stop my education in high school, and without it, I may not have had the opportunity to continue with my post-secondary education and my dream to work at the collegiate level.

Women's Strike for Equality 1970

myourgalite — 2021-06-28 00:26:45 UTC

The Women's Strike for Equality was not only a gathering to celebrate the passage of the 19th amendment but also a way to bring attention to women's equality and rights. A variety of actions were taken to bring attention to the different issues they were facing with equality such as equal opportunity in education (Jewish Women's Archive, n.d.). The strike received recognition from the New York City mayor, New York State governor, and President Nixon who "issued proclamations officially recognizing the day" (Jewish Women's Archive, n.d., para. 5).

This is the time where we start to see more gender equality in universities.

This strike brought attention to the lack of equal opportunity in education and through nationwide attention, sparked other protests. Which helped lead to men and women being in the same educational setting. This specifically impacted my educational journey in that I was seen as equal in my ability to learn and perform at the same level as my male peers. While in school I was in the same classes, scored on the same scale, and taught the same material as my male peers. I did not have anything adjusted because of my gender which helped to challenge me academically and increase my knowledge.

Current State of Women in Education

myourgalite — 2021-06-28 00:26:56 UTC

There have been great advances for women in education. Women have access to the same facilities and programs as men, are able to continue into higher education, and are also protected from discrimination. However, there are still some obstacles that women are experiencing in their educational journey.

One issue that is seen today is the separation of programs for boys and girls based on the perception of what boys and girls would be interested in. This inhibits a student to participate in something of interest to them due to the fact that it does not meet the perception of others. Another issue is pregnant students. Most schools do not have the support and services in place to help these women. Leading to a lack of equal access to education and the possibility of these students to drop out of school (American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), n.d.).

Although we have made some great strides in the progression of educational equality for women, there are still some concepts that need to be considered in order to support and provide women with an equal opportunity to an education.

References

myourgalite — 2021-06-28 00:27:07 UTC

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). (n.d.). Women's rights in education. https://www.aclu.org/issues/womens-rights/womens-rights-education
Cornell Law School. (n.d.). Equal protection. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/equal_protection
Dentith, A. (2016). Women’s history in education in the United States. Adult Education Research Conference. https://newprairiepress.org/aerc/2016/roundtables/4
(Education Amendments Act of 1972) Title IX, 20 USC §1681 - 1688
[Girls + Education Image]. (n.d.). https://d1e4pidl3fu268.cloudfront.net/9dd60544-ca4d-45b4-b189-19a7c63cd6ef/girlrisingpower400x600_0.crop_658x494_42%2C0.preview.jpg
[I need Title IX Image]. (n.d.). https://www.americaspromise.org/sites/default/files/d8/styles/hero_image/public/2018-07/title%20xi.jpg?itok=phX9qvQ9
Jewish Women's Archive. (n.d.). Women strike for equality.
Lhamon, C. (2015, April 24). Dear Colleague Letter: Tile IX Coordinators. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201504-title-ix-coordinators.pdf
Stanton v. Stanton, 421 US 7 (1975)
[Title IX Image]. (n.d.). https://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/titlenine-696x696.jpg
U.S. Const. Amend. XIV
Women's Educational Equity Act of 1974, (Title IV, 20 USC § 408)
[Women's Rights Convention Image]. Seneca County Courier (Seneca County, New York), July 14, 1848. Women’s Rights National Historical Park. National Park Service. https://www.loc.gov/static/managed-content/uploads/sites/10/1848/07/Call-to-SF-convention-Seneca-County-Courier-July-11-1848small.jpg
[Women in Cap and Gown Image]. (n.d.). https://imgix.bustle.com/2017/4/24/181f8cc1-8c4a-4558-a2d2-40d5d231078c.jpg?w=1200&h=630&fit=crop&crop=faces&fm=jpg
[Women protest Image]. (n.d.). https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.timetoast.com/public/uploads/photo/10674382/image/cd56c92566dc29a6e7d4421f3ea227da
[Women's Rights Poster Imgae]. (n.d.). https://www.coe.int/documents/61989255/67584870/Feminism1.jpg/3225e3d4-ffc2-db25-7d3d-c50d5eb21bed?t=1588846085000
[Women's Strike Image]. (n.d.). https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/1970s_women%27s_strike_poster_%28cropped%29.jpg