Girls Inc. Week 2022 is May 2-6, and this year we celebrate Title IX and its upcoming 50th anniversary. Every year we look forward to celebrating Girls Inc. Week. This year, we are particularly excited about the opportunity to use this time to educate the new generations of leaders, supporters, and our communities about Title IX and gender equity. Title IX is the United States federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity) in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

Girls Inc., when it was known as the Girls Clubs of America, supported passage of Title IX of the Education Amendment Act of 1972. We and other national organizations also thought the law should apply to youth serving agencies outside of the educational system, which did not happen. We are proud to have played a role in this landmark legislation, and were recognized in the United States Senate by then-Senator Birch Bayh, the author of Title IX, for our work serving girls. Surviving many challenges through the decades, Title IX is arguably one of the most significant laws for gender equality in America’s history.