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.

 

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.

1.

Increased control over reproduction (middle to late 1900's)

2. The growth of woman suffrage (throughout the 1900's)
3. Social assistance and insurance for women (throughout the 1900's)
4.

The influence of World War II (1939-1945)

5. The rise of the female athlete (middle to late 1900's)
6. The publication of The Feminine Mystique (1963)
7. The impact of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
8. The failure of the Equal Rights Amendment (late 1900's)
9. Rising education rates (throughout the 1900's)
10. Rise of the third wave of women's movements (late 1900's)