
5. The rise of the female athlete (middle to late 1900's)
The
health, strength, and skill of the female athlete became increasingly
recognized and accepted during the 1900's, and athletic activity was
associated with women's greater academic success and leadership ability.
Girls' and women's opportunities to play sports and receive athletic
scholarships were significantly broadened in 1972, when the U.S. Congress
passed Title IX of the Education Amendments Act, which prohibits sex
discrimination in programs receiving federal funds. Tennis star Billie
Jean King's win over Bobby Riggs in 1973 made headlines as it celebrated
women's ability to compete athletically with men. In recent years, women's
team sports, such as basketball, softball, and hockey, have increased
in popularity.
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Janet Z. Giele
is a Professor of Sociology in the Heller School for Social Welfare at Brandeis
University. She focused on the field of women's movements in the 1900's. This
Top 10 list celebrates a century of achievement for women and credits the
contributions of a number of outstanding women, including Margaret Sanger,
Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Betty Friedan, and Naomi Wolf. Susan Schantz, a Graduate Research Assistant in the Heller School for Social Welfare at Brandeis University, assisted Professor Giele in developing the list.
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