In our real-life Quidditch league, as with its fictional counterpart, men and women play against and with each other, making it rare if not unique among other organized sports.

We believe that if men and women learn to compete equally, then they will learn to respect and value each other’s abilities regardless of gender. It is well researched that sports participation improves the lives of women and levels the “playing field” not only in sports but in every aspect of society; with Quidditch we would like to take those benefits a step further by promoting a sport that is truly co-ed, rather than evenly segregated (as it currently exists under Title IX).

This belief has led us to our new mission: Title 9 ¾, a combination of the real-life Title IX and the famous fictional train platform in the Harry Potter book series.

With Title 9 ¾:

• The IQA will use the growing popularity of real-life Quidditch to challenge the way our world thinks about gender in sports and athletics.
• We hope that this will inspire other sports leagues and athletes to reconsider their gender regulations and in turn affect broader positive change in gender equality worldwide.

Facts from the Feminist Majority Foundation

Regular exercise…

• May decrease a woman’s risk of breast cancer
• Increases self esteem
• Increases confidence
• Increases a woman’s bone mass and decreases her chance of osteoporosis

Women and girls who participate in sports…

• Have higher grades than students who don’t
• Have lower drop out rates
• Have lower pregnancy rates
• Are less likely to use drugs
• Are more likely to graduate college
• Learn skills that will help them all of their lives

Title IX’s Work Is Not Done

• Women make up 54% of college students and only 43% of college athletes.
• Title IX compliance has been driven by law suits and threats of law suits.

Although the law states that schools that violate Title IX will lose their federal funding, in thirty years no school has ever lost federal funding for not complying with Title IX.

• Male college athletes receive 36% more scholarship dollars than female college athletes at NCAA institutions.
• Men’s college athletics receive more money than women’s in scholarships, recruiting, head coach salaries, and operating expenses.
• Men have substantially more employment opportunities than women in college sports. Women are 16.9% of the Athletic Directors, 44% of the head coaches of women’s teams, 2% of the head coaches of men’s teams, and 27.8% of the full time athletic trainers.

Sources

1. NCWGE “Title IX at 30 Report Card on Gender Equity”, 2002
2. Women’s Sports Foundation “Women’s Sports & Fitness Facts and Statistics” (Updated 7/15/2002)
3. NCWGE “Title IX at 30 Report Card on Gender Equity” (2002); National Women’s Law Center “Title IX and Men’s ‘Minor’ Sports: A False Conflict” (May 2002)