As many posted to celebrate the 49th anniversary of Title IX on Wednesday, Muffet McGraw left a sobering reminder of all that still needs to be accomplished to reach true equity.
— Muffet McGraw (@MuffetMcGraw) June 24, 2021
The former Notre Dame women’s basketball coach and two-time national champion did not hold back in a post to Twitter on Thursday.
“Women and girls have more opportunities than we did 50 years ago but is that all we have accomplished?” McGraw wrote. “It took a video from the 2021 NCAA basketball tournament to show the stark contrast between men’s and women’s basketball and a furious outcry from women and some member institutions to look into the disparities and inequities that have been going on unchecked for decades.”
She added that athletes in women’s college sports are speaking out more forcefully against the gender inequities. For years, McGraw wrote, student-athletes “remained silent about it because that’s what women are expected to do. Take what we are given and be thankful that we are ‘allowed’ to play.”
As McGraw points out, only 15 percent of Division I athletic directors are female, with just five located within the Power Five conferences. Despite 38 states ratifying the ERA, it has yet to be added to the constitution.
“So happy birthday Title IX,” McGraw finished. “Lets hope you get better with age.”