Before 1973, almost no one thought there would be a law allowing women to compete in an industry that had previously been almost entirely reserved for men. But, somehow, everything has changed. In 1973, a law, or more precisely an amendment to a law, called Title IX was passed, which became one of the most important milestones in women's rights. However, despite everything it has done, the law is not perfect and its enforcement can be improved. Title IX itself “is the foundational law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded educational programs and activities” (“A Pregnancy Test for Schools” 1). Before this amendment was added to the Higher Education Act of 1965 in 1972, women's athletic programs in both high school and college were almost nonexistent. One of the people who first proposed this amendment was inspired to do so after learning that his wife had been rejected from the University of Virginia simply because she was a woman. The law is supposed to be enforced using a triple test, which establishes three requirements for complying with the law. Schools must meet one of the requirements, namely: have an equal or proportional ratio of men and women playing sports, show a history of expanding programs for women, or not have too large a gap in scholarship funding. There have been challenges to the legitimacy of Title IX, but they have all been struck down. A proposal to exempt revenue-generating sports such as football and basketball from the law was proposed in 1974, but was rejected because it could significantly damage the impact of Title IX. Later, during the second Bush administration, some officials attempted to use a survey measuring women's interest in sports as a way to circumvent Title IX. This…half of the document…the headlines are startling, and it's critical that people know that Title IX hasn't completely done its job yet. There is a reason Title IX was passed: To give women equal rights in sports, academics, and simple civil rights, and to allow the opposite sex the opportunity to experience athletics, both For men and women, sports participation builds character and trains young people to become resilient and tough-working later in life. This is why Title IX mattered and still matters today: It mattered then because without it there would have been none of the great moments in the history of American women's sports, like our women dominating the 2012 Olympics or Billie Jean King who beat a man who claimed women could not and should not play…. and it is still relevant today because in all the fields it covers, its work is yet to be fully done.