Merger and New Policy Playbook Will Bolster Organizing Efforts and Policy Advocacy on Campuses Across the Country

WASHINGTON – Advocates for Youth, an organization championing the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people, and Know Your IX, the survivor- and youth-led organization empowering students to end sexual and dating violence on their campuses, today announced they will join forces to expand their work promoting the sexual health and wellbeing of young people across the country. Know Your IX’s existing powerful network of young advocates creating transformative change on the campus, state and national levels will be supported by the vast youth activism network, research, and organizing forces of Advocates for Youth.

Title IX, a federal civil rights law designed to tear down gender-based barriers to education, was passed 45 years ago last month. It requires schools receiving federal funding to respond to and remedy hostile gender-based violence in schools. Although Title IX sets a floor for schools’ responsibilities to create safe and equitable learning environments, today, one in five women, as well as many LGBT and gender-nonconforming students, still experience sexual violence in school. States can and should build upon federal protections to strengthen supports for student victims.

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As a first step in this partnership, Know Your IX today released a State Policy Playbook, a series of key reforms that state legislators can pursue to support survivors on campus and end gender violence in education.

“It’s disgraceful that 45 years after Title IX was enacted, we cannot count on this Congress or the Administration to ensure compliance, “ said Debra Hauser, president of Advocates for Youth. “Advocates is thrilled to welcome Know Your IX into our family at this time in our political and cultural history. Together, we will support survivors and their youth allies as they themselves fight to hold schools accountable and work to end sexual and dating violence on their campuses.” “As part of Advocates for Youth, we’ll have an unprecedented opportunity to change campus culture and amplify our efforts to help students understand and defend their rights,” said Mahroh Jahangiri, executive director of Know Your IX. “Without support, survivors are often forced to withdraw from classes, take a leave of absence, or drop out of school entirely in the wake of harassment and discrimination. Working together, we’ll be able to push for critical reforms at the state level—and help ensure the cost of an education no longer includes sexual violence.”

Know Your IX will become a permanent campaign of Advocates for Youth. Staff will work collaboratively to drive the campaign’s efforts to educate students and persuade states to adopt policies going beyond federal minimums to protect students’ health, safety and wellbeing.

You can read the State Policy Playbook here.

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Advocates for Youth is a 501(c)3 organization that champions efforts that help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates believes it can best serve the field by boldly advocating for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health. Advocates focuses its work on young people ages 14-25 in the U.S. and around the globe.

 

For Immediate Release: July 6, 2017

Contact: Mahroh Jahangiri, mahroh@advocatesforyouth.org