Women's Educational Equity Act facts for kids

The Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA) of 1974 was an important law passed in the United States. It aimed to protect girls and women from discrimination based on their gender in education. This law was created to make sure everyone had a fair chance to learn, no matter their gender.

Congresswoman Patsy Mink from Hawaiʻi first suggested the law. It was designed to help stop unfair ideas about what boys and girls should do or be, especially in elementary and secondary schools.

How the Law Came About

This law was first suggested because some people wanted to weaken Title IX. Title IX was another important law passed in 1972. It stopped gender discrimination in school programs that received money from the government. WEEA was meant to strengthen these protections.

A famous tennis player, Billie Jean King, helped support the Women's Educational Equity Act. In 1973, she spoke to the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. She talked about problems in women's sports. King explained that girls and women often did not get the same benefits from sports programs as boys. For example, budgets for women's sports were much smaller. Her speech brought attention to these issues and helped the WEEA become a law.

Congresswoman Mink's original bill did not pass in the House of Representatives. However, Senator Walter Mondale helped by adding it to a larger education bill. Mink then worked hard to get this version approved. The WEEA was finally signed into law on August 21, 1974.

What the Law Does

The Women's Educational Equity Act allowed for special grants. These grants provided money to schools and other educational groups. The money was used to:

• Create school lessons that did not have unfair gender stereotypes.
• Train teachers and staff to treat all students fairly.
• Offer career advice that encouraged both boys and girls to explore any job.

The law also helped improve sports programs for girls. These funds helped schools follow the rules of Title IX.

How the Law Was Used

Over the years, how the WEEA was used changed. In the 1980s, during President Ronald Reagan's time, there were some changes to how grants were reviewed. In 1984, Congress rewrote parts of the WEEA. This made its goals clearer and helped ensure it stayed true to its original purpose.

Later, in 2003, during the George W. Bush administration, a part of WEEA called the Resource Center lost its government funding. This center was important because it collected and shared information about programs that promoted fairness for all genders.

The last time WEEA received money was in 2010. Since then, the President's budget has not asked for funding for the WEEA.