[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 7, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S708-S709]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 398--SUPPORTING THE OBSERVATION OF ``NATIONAL GIRLS &
WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY'' ON FEBRUARY 7, 2018, TO RAISE AWARENESS OF AND
CELEBRATE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORTS
Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. Thune, Mr. Nelson, Ms. Collins, Ms.
Warren, and Mr. Durbin) submitted the following resolution; which was
considered and agreed to:
S. Res. 398
Whereas athletic participation helps develop self-
discipline, initiative, confidence, and leadership skills,
and opportunities for athletic participation should be
available to all individuals;
Whereas, because the people of the United States remain
committed to protecting equality, it is imperative to
eliminate the existing disparities between male and female
youth athletic programs;
Whereas the share of athletic participation opportunities
of high school girls has increased more than sixfold since
the passage of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
(20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) (referred to in this preamble as
``title IX''), but high school girls still experience--
(1) a lower share of athletic participation opportunities
than high school boys; and
(2) a lower level of athletic participation opportunities
than high school boys enjoyed almost 50 years ago;
Whereas female participation in college sports has nearly
tripled since the passage of title IX, but female college
athletes still only comprise 44 percent of the total
collegiate athlete population;
Whereas, in 1972, women coached more than 90 percent of
collegiate women's teams, but now women coach less than 50
percent of all collegiate women teams, and there is a need to
restore women to those positions to ensure fair
representation and provide role models for young female
athletes;
Whereas the long history of women in sports in the United
States--
(1) features many contributions made by female athletes
that have enriched the national life of the United States;
and
(2) includes inspiring figures, such as Gertrude Ederle,
Wilma Rudolph, Althea Gibson, Mildred Ella ``Babe'' Didrikson
Zaharias, and Patty Berg, who overcame difficult obstacles in
their own lives to--
(A) advance participation by women in sports; and
(B) set positive examples for the generations of female
athletes who continue to inspire people in the United States
today;
Whereas the United States must do all it can to support the
bonds built between all athletes to break down the barriers
of discrimination, inequality, and injustice;
Whereas girls and young women in minority communities are
doubly disadvantaged because--
(1) schools in minority communities overall have fewer
athletic opportunities; and
(2) the limited resources for athletic opportunities in
those communities are not evenly distributed between male and
female students;
Whereas, with the recent passage of bills such as the
Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport
Authorization Act of 2017 (S. 534, 115th Congress), Congress
has taken steps to--
(1) protect female athletes from the crime of sexual abuse;
and
(2) empower athletes to report sexual abuse when it occurs;
and
Whereas, with the beginning of the 2018 Winter Olympics in
South Korea, it is more important than ever to ensure the
safety and well-being of athletes by protecting those
athletes from the crime of sexual abuse, which has harmed so
many young athletes within youth athletic organizations: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate supports--
(1) observing ``National Girls & Women in Sports Day'' on
February 7, 2018, to recognize--
(A) the female athletes who represent schools,
universities, and the United States in their athletic
pursuits; and
(B) the vital role that the people of the United States
have in empowering girls and women in sports;
(2) marking the observation of National Girls & Women in
Sports Day with appropriate programs and activities,
including legislative efforts to protect young athletes from
the crime of sexual abuse so that future generations of
female athletes will not have to experience the pain that so
many female athletes have had to endure; and
(3) all ongoing efforts to--
(A) promote equality in sports and access to athletic
opportunities for girls and women; and
(B) support the commitment of the United States to
expanding athletic participation for all girls and future
generations of women athletes.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise to introduce a Senate
Resolution recognizing February 7, 2018 as ``National Girls & Women in
Sports Day''. Since the passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments
of 1972, our Nation has taken many big steps toward achieving equality
for women in our Nation's athletic institutions. In fact, since then,
participation by high school girls in athletic programs has increased
more than six fold. And in college sports, participation by women
athletes has nearly tripled since the passage of Title IX.
However, many disparities still exist between male and female
athletic programs in our Nation today. Because there are simply fewer
athletic opportunities and programs for girls, there are lower levels
of participation in sports amongst present day high school girls than
there were for high school boys in the 1970s.
Across college campuses, women athletes still comprise only 44
percent of the collegiate athlete population. And in some instances,
the numbers have even shrunk over time. In 1972, women occupied more
than 90 percent of coaching positions with collegiate women's teams.
Today, women occupy less than half of these coaching positions.
This resolution recognizes how far we have come, but more
importantly, it acknowledges how much farther we still have to go to
achieve equality for our female athletes. In looking to the future and
resolving together that more must be done to provide girls and women
equal opportunity in sports, we also celebrate and recognize female
athletes from the past who have faced difficult obstacles in their
lives to advance the participation of women in sports.
We honor athletes like Althea Gibson, who was the first African-
American athlete to break down racial barriers in international tennis
and who, in 1956, became the first person of color to win a Grand Slam
tennis title with her victory at the French Open.
We celebrate ``Babe'' Didrikson Zaharias, who, in addition to the
Olympic medals she won at the 1932 Olympic Games in track and field,
challenged conventions in the sport of golf to become the first woman
in history who attempted to qualify in the U.S. Open tournament.
We salute Wilma Rudolph, who in the 1960s was considered the fastest
woman in the world and, with her performance at the 1960 Olympic Games,
was the first American woman to achieve three gold medals at any single
Olympics event in history.
Each of these women faced tremendous difficulties to break down
barriers in their respective sports to change not just the culture of
sports in our Nation, but ultimately, to improve our country. Their
names were inscribed in sports history, and in the process they became
positive role models for entire generations of female athletes who
continue to inspire us all with their talents. Finally, this resolution
recognizes the importance of supporting girls and women in sports by
holding to account those who use their positions of power--both
individual and institutional in nature--to abuse and exploit.
Mr. President, our Nation continues to struggle with the revelations
that hundreds of young female athletes were sexually abused within USA
Gymnastics affiliated institutions. The stories of these survivors, who
endured such horrific abuse at the hands of professionals entrusted to
develop their athletic talents, are absolutely heartbreaking and our
Nation must do more to prevent these crimes from ever happening again.
To put an end to this abuse, on January 30, 2018, Congress passed the
Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization
Act of 2017, which I had authored and introduced to require all Olympic
sports organizations and amateur sports organizations to immediately
report allegations of sexual abuse to law enforcement.
As the Winter Olympics begin this week in South Korea, our Nation
must continue to do everything we can to enforce this legislation and
advocate on behalf of these young athletes whose lives have been turned
upside down by the abuse that they endured.
I would also like to thank the National Women's Law Center and the
National Girls & Women in Sports Day Coalition for their support of
this resolution. All young people in our Nation deserve equal access to
freely participate in athletic programs and to feel safe and secure so
they can thrive within their chosen sports. With these goals in mind, I
call on all of us to examine the progress we have made and
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commit ourselves to addressing the inequalities we must still overcome
to empower female athletes in our Nation.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
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