Patsy Mink: Leader, visionary, feminist. Patsy Mink was one of the frontrunners in the fight for women's equality and did not rest until her goals were achieved. Mrs. Mink contributed greatly to the common good, equality of opportunity, and to individual rights for all. She fought until her death to level the playing field for men and women. To start with, Patsy Mink made tireless contributions to America’s common good. She not only fought for equal rights towards women, but to the needs of “children, poor, the environment, and peace” (Igasaki). She created Title IX and the Women’s Education Equity Act (Igasaki). Title IX is a “comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program …show more content…
Equality of opportunity is a “political idea that is opposed to caste hierarchy but not to hierarchy per se” (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Putting it into simpler terms, it’s a political idea that doesn’t agree with the social structures in society. Her main contribution to this belief was her Title IX, later renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act after her death in 2002 (Chan). This act gave women the same opportunity as men in order to get a higher education. It prohibited discrimination based on sex or gender, making colleges and universities not allowed to refuse a woman a degree just because she is a woman (Igasaki). It also enabled women to qualify for financial aid if needed (titleix.info). In the athletics field, Title IX opened much more doors than before. Before this Title, the primary sports for women were cheerleading and square-dancing (Athletics Under Title IX). Then, Title IX appeared. It allowed women to have more opportunities to compete in elite championship levels (Athletics Under Title IX). They also got an equal opportunity to compete in the Olympics, World Championships, and in professional leagues. It also enabled women to have more important jobs in the field of education. In the beginning, they were only allowed to teach in elementary and secondary schools.(Employment). Now, they were being allowed to work in colleges and universities, …show more content…
She fought for the common good of America by ensuring women had an equal opportunity in the world and that they had their individual rights. Mrs. Mink ensured that women located everywhere in America were able to get ahead their lives, and not face prejudice and discrimination simply because of their sex and/or gender. She truly was a leader, an advocate, and strong. "10 Key Areas of Title IX." TitleIX.info. The MARGARET Fund of NWLC, 2015. Web. 14 Dec. 2015. "About the DWC." Democratic Women's Caucus. Democratic Women's Caucus, Web. 14 Dec. xxxx2015. Andrews, Carrolyn, and Lenore Garcia. "Women's Educational Equity." Archived:. Web. 13 Dec. xxxx2015. Arneson, Richard. "Equality of Opportunity." Stanford University. Stanford University, 08 Oct. 2002. xxxxWeb. 14 Dec. 2015. "Athletics Under Title IX." Title IX. The MARGARET Fund of NWLC, 2015. Web. 14 Dec.