Lilly Ledbetter, Equal Pay Pioneer, Dies Aged 86

Lilly Ledbetter, a pioneering advocate for pay equality, has passed away at the age of 86.
Ledbetter’s fight for fair wages was made famous after she learned she had been paid significantly less than her male counterparts, a circumstance this grandmother could not have imaged would propel her into the public eye and the history books.
She discovered near the end of her 19-year career that her male counterparts were earning significantly more for the same work during her years at Goodyear Tire & Rubber. She successfully sued for back pay, but the verdict was overturned due to a 180-day filing deadline. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld this ruling in 2007.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in her dissenting opinion on the Ledbetter case, urged Congress to take action. This sparked activism among civil rights groups who viewed the court’s decision as a setback.
Though Ledbetter never received compensation, her lawsuit led to a significant change in the law that would go on to benefit other workers.
In 2009, Congress passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which made it easier to file pay discrimination claims by resetting the 180-day filing period with each new discriminatory paycheck.
This law became the first that President Barack Obama signed into effect after taking office, marking a significant step in the fight for pay equality.
In a statement released on Monday, the former president said “Lilly Ledbetter 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. But this grandmother from Alabama kept on fighting until the day I signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law—my first as president.”
His statement continued “Lilly did what so many Americans before her have done: setting her sights high for herself and even higher for her children and grandchildren. Michelle and I are grateful for her advocacy and her friendship, and we send our love and prayers to her family and everyone who is continuing the fight that she began.”
At the time of her milestone 2009 Fair Pay Act, the then Seventy-year old Lilly Ledbetter was described by Newsweek as “no ordinary grandmother” and “sprightly Southerner” who spoke at the Democratic National Convention that year and danced onstage with the president at an inaugural ball.
On Sept. 4, 2012, at the Democratic National Convention, Lilly Ledbetter emphasized that the fight for pay equality, which started with her personal struggle, had grown into a collective battle for fundamental American values. She underscored that the losses caused by wage discrimination aren’t just financial, but also deeply personal, affecting the principles that make the country great. Her speech conveyed the importance of unity in addressing the broader implications of pay inequality for all Americans.
Her husband, Charles Ledbetter died in 2008. She is survived by two children and her grandchildren.
Ledbetter’s legacy is a milestone in the battle for workplace equality.