Washington, D.C. — Tomorrow, members of the press are invited to attend a press conference marking the introduction of Senator Joni Ernsts’s and Congresswoman Claudia Tenney’s bicameral resolution recognizing the week in late June, surrounding the June 23rd anniversary of Title IX, as National Women’s Sports Week.
This resolution seeks to celebrate the contributions of individual American female athletes; honor the coaches and parents who support female athletes; promote equal access to athletic opportunities for members of both sexes; support the commitment of the United States to supporting female athletes; and advance legislative efforts to protect single-sex sports.
National Women’s Sports Week was initiated by Independent Women’s Voice’s sister organization, Independent Women’s Forum (IWF), in 2022 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Title IX; and it will be formally established through joint resolutions in the U.S. House and Senate. IWF created Women’s Sports Week to celebrate the incredible expansion of opportunities for female athletes since the passage of Title IX in 1972, recognize the role of Title IX in guaranteeing equal athletic opportunities, and champion female athletes of all ages.
WHO:
- U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
- U.S. Representative Claudia Tenney (R-NY)
- U.S. Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC)
- U.S. Representative Mary Miller (R-IL)
- U.S. Representative Burgess Owens (R-UT)
- Riley Gaines, 12x NCAA All-American swimmer and advisor for Independent Women’s Voice
- Paula Scanlan, former University of Pennsylvania swimmer and ex-teammate of Lia Thomas
- Payton McNabb, recent high school graduate and softball, basketball, and volleyball athlete left permanently injured by biological male playing in a women’s volleyball match and spokeswoman for Independent Women’s Forum
- Additional members of Congress
WHEN: Thursday, June 22, 2023, at 9:00 AM ET
- 8:45 AM: Press should arrive and set up
- 9:00 AM: Press Conference Begins
- 9:45 AM: Press Conference Concludes
WHERE: House Triangle on the Capitol’s East Front
To RSVP, email Lynn Hatcher at [email protected]
BACKGROUND:
Independent Women’s Voice (IWV) and Independent Women’s Forum are leading the fight to preserve the integrity of women’s sports. Learn more below:
- IWV/F works to protect women’s rights and preserve women’s spaces with the Women’s Bill of Rights HERE.
- On the 50th anniversary of Title IX, IWF last year led the “Our Bodies, Our Sports” rally, which featured an historic number of female athletes on one stage to urge policymakers to keep women’s sports female. Watch HERE.
- IWF and Independent Women’s Law Center have produced a first of its kind report entitled, “Competition Report: Title IX, Male-Bodied Athletes, and the Threat To Women’s Sports,” to help athletic associations, policymakers, and courts understand the growing threat to female athletes. The second editor was released earlier this week. Read HERE.
- IWF’s Female Athlete Storytelling Drive featuring real stories from women athletes detailing the unfair personal experiences of competing with and against male-bodied athletes can be found HERE.
- On the final day of Women’s Sports Week, IWF will hold its third “Our Bodies, Our Sports” rally in Knoxville, TN on Sunday, June 25 during the USA Cycling National Championships in Knoxville, TN to petition the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and USA Cycling to Keep Women’s Cycling FEMALE. Learn more and RSVP HERE.
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