The 2005 Gender-Equity and Issues Forum, "Take Action," provided nearly 200 participants with the opportunity to discuss not only Title IX issues but also the role athletics can have in women's lives. The forum was held in New Orleans April 24-26.

The opening session offered by "Dads and Daughters" author Joe Kelly explored the relationships fathers can develop with their daughters through athletics. Through his presentation, he voiced the belief that athletics not only can make the father-daughter bond more resilient, but also increases a woman's self-esteem level and makes her a healthier person.

Kelly told the audience that in his many interviews with female athletes, many pointed to their fathers as the major influence that guided them to sports, and fathers often helped their daughters to improve and succeed in their chosen sport.

In addition to his book, Kelly also has organized a nonprofit organization that provides outreach, education and advocacy programs concerning fathers and daughters. For more information, visit www.dadsanddaughters.org

As a complementary bookend to Kelly's presentation, the Gender-Equity Forum ended with a "moms and daughters" session, led by prominent sports attorney Janet Judge. Judge spoke about her experiences as a student-athlete at Harvard University and as an administrator and attorney. She spoke about how sports can draw together mothers and daughters as well as fathers and daughters. Her 10-year-old daughter, Kelsey, shared a poem about what athletics -- particularly soccer, because her mother was her coach -- meant to her.

At the end of the presentation, former University of Iowa athletics director and professor Christine Grant and NCAA Senior Vice-President for Championships and Education Service Judy Sweet were honored for their dedication to women's issues, particularly women's athletics issues.

In between the two presentations, participants had the opportunity to learn more about a variety of issues facing women in athletics, including the Department of Education's recent clarification of Title IX policy.

The clarification, which provided institutions with a mechanism to survey students about their interests in athletics and suggests e-mail as a method of distribution, was the focus of a presentation from Jocelyn Samuels, vice-president for education and employment opportunities at the National Women's Law Center. Many participants also discussed the issue at separate round-table discussions provided for members from each NCAA division.

The clarification is of great concern to Title IX advocates, who believe that it allows institutions who do not want to continue the growth of women's athletics a way to cut back on both effort and financial resources put toward women's sports.

Samuels said that while the clarification might seem like a small change, it could be damaging over time.

A history of Title IX and its benefits for women was presented by Sweet, Grant and NCAA Senior Vice-President for Governance and Membership Bernard Franklin.

Members of the NCAA Education Services staff also made a presentation on the NCAA's drug use survey. Results of the survey will be released later this year.

Another hot topic at the forum was the role of the senior woman administrator. Divisions II and III have conducted surveys among SWAs and their supervisors concerning the designation and its function as a job title or a role with defined responsibilities. Division I has committed to exploring the issue as well. Surveys conducted at the Division II and III levels indicated an occasional disconnect between what the job of an SWA is perceived to be by the SWA herself and by the athletics director at the same institution.

In addition to the clarification discussions, an action planning session gave participants an opportunity to develop a plan designed to create change for their individual campuses. This session allowed people to delve into gender-equity issues that are relevant to their individual campuses.

After the forum ended, some people stayed to participate in diversity training workshops, which provided additional diversity education for student-athletes, coaches and athletics administrators.

Officials said response to the forum was impressive, through both written evaluation forms distributed at the conclusion of the event and verbal feedback provided throughout the forum. Participants indicated they enjoyed the format, particularly the roundtable discussions that allowed interaction.

"We've had overwhelmingly positive evaluations," NCAA Director of Education Outreach Rosie Stallman said. "Most indicated they had a positive experience."

Planning for next year's Gender-Equity and Issues Forum will begin later this year.