Lilly Ledbetter, the namesake of a landmark equal pay law in the United States, has passed away at the age of 86. According to CBS News, her family reported that she died peacefully on Saturday, surrounded by loved ones. In a statement, her children reflected on her remarkable life, noting, “Our mother lived an extraordinary life.”
Ledbetter’s relentless activism culminated in the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, the first bill signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2009. This significant legislation simplified the process for workers to file lawsuits upon discovering instances of pay discrimination.
President Obama emphasized that the law conveyed an important message: “There are no second-class citizens in our workplaces.” Current President Joe Biden, who served as vice president during Obama’s administration, praised Ledbetter as a “fearless leader and advocate for equal pay.” He acknowledged her journey from the factory floor to the halls of Congress and the Supreme Court, stating she “never stopped fighting for all Americans to be paid what they deserve.”
Biden remarked, “Before she was a household name, Lilly was like so many other women in the workforce: she worked hard, with dignity, only to find out she was being paid less than a man for the same work.” He also expressed his honor in standing alongside her when the Fair Pay Restoration Act became law, highlighting it as a “critical step forward in the fight to close the gender and racial wage gaps.”
Ledbetter dedicated nearly 20 years of her life as a supervisor at Goodyear, the tire manufacturer, before discovering she was receiving less pay than her male counterparts for the same position. In 2007, the Supreme Court ruled against her, stating she had no grounds to sue because her complaint was filed beyond the six-month limit for reporting discrimination. The Fair Pay Restoration Act, championed by Ledbetter, effectively overturned that ruling.
Former President Obama paid tribute to Ledbetter via social media, acknowledging that she “never set out to be a trailblazer or a household name. She just wanted to be paid the same as a man for her hard work.” He noted, “Lilly did what so many Americans before her have done: setting her sights high for herself and even higher for her children and grandchildren.”
Even after the law was enacted, Ledbetter remained an outspoken advocate for equal pay. Recently, she was honored with the Future Is Female Lifetime Achievement Award from Advertising Week, as reported by AL.com. Additionally, a new film chronicling her life, titled Lilly, featuring Patricia Clarkson, premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival.
