Gender Equity Policy: United States

Gender equity policy in the United States refers to federal legislative and policy initiatives that mandate or guide practices to mitigate gender-based discrimination and strengthen equitable practices in employment and education. Gender equity policies have implications for institutional policies and practices in U.S. colleges and universities. For example, Title IX, a federal law passed in 1972, and renamed the Patsy Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act in 2002, is a public policy with gender equity implications for individuals working and studying at U.S. postsecondary institutions.

Gender equity policies have evolved from those with primary focus on women’s access to and participation in higher education during the latter part of the 20th century, to also include campus climate issues that increasingly reflect a broadened view of how ...