Lilly Ledbetter, a prominent women’s rights activist known for her role in the fight for pay equity, passed away at the age of 86 on Saturday. Her passing was confirmed on Monday by Jodi Solomon, her speaking manager, who described Ledbetter as a “fierce” crusader and a dear friend who will be greatly missed.
Born in Jacksonville, Alabama, Ledbetter began her career as a supervisor at a Goodyear tire plant in Gadsden in 1979. She learned years later that she was earning less than her male colleagues in the same role after discovering an anonymous note detailing the pay disparity. This revelation deeply affected her, prompting her to file a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Her actions in 1998 sparked a decade-long legal battle for pay equity. Ledbetter retired from Goodyear just 11 months after uncovering the pay issue and initiated a gender discrimination lawsuit in 1999. In 2003, she won her case and was initially awarded over $3 million in damages; however, due to legal limits, that amount was reduced to $300,000. Goodyear contested the ruling, claiming that the timeframe for damages should only cover 180 days before Ledbetter filed her complaint. In 2007, the Supreme Court sided with Goodyear in a narrow decision.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dissented, arguing that Ledbetter’s case was not invalidated by the time limit and emphasized that the resolution lay with Congress. In response to the ruling, Congress enacted the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009, which extended the timeframe for filing equal pay claims. President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law on January 29, 2009, marking it as his first official act in office.
Obama honored Ledbetter in a statement following her passing, noting that she never intended to become a trailblazer but simply sought equal pay for her work. He praised her advocacy and her legacy, which continues to inspire others in the ongoing fight for pay equity.
Recently, Ledbetter received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Advertising Week for her contributions to equal pay activism. Additionally, a film about her life, titled “Lilly,” is currently being screened across the country.