Lilly Ledbetter, whose name graces an equal pay law in the US, has died aged 86.News partner in the US quoted her children as having said that she died peacefully yesterday surrounded by family and loved ones.
“Our mother lived an extraordinary life,” added a family statement.
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Lilly Ledbetter Dies
Ms Ledbetter’s activism led to the first bill signed into law by Barack Obama after he became US president in 2009. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act made easier the suing process after discovering that workers were being discriminated through pay.
Mr Obama said the legislation sent the message “there are no second-class citizens in our workplaces”. President Biden, who served as vice-president during the Obama administration, described Ms Ledbetter as a “fearless leader and advocate for equal pay”. He paid tribute, saying “her fight began on the factory floor and reached the Supreme Court and Congress” and she “never stopped fighting for all Americans to be paid what they deserve”.
“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.”
Biden said it was “an honour to stand with Lilly as the bill that bears her name was made law”, describing the Fair Pay Restoration Act as a “critical step forward in the fight to close the gender and racial wage gaps”.
Ms Ledbetter worked as a supervisor for Goodyear, the tyre manufacturer, in Alabama for nearly 20 years before discovering she was being paid less than men doing the same job. The Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that she had no grounds to sue because her complaint had not been lodged within six months of the discrimination first taking place. Her law overturned that ruling.
The former president paid tribute on Twitter/X, saying Ms 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”. “Lilly did what so many Americans before her have done: setting her sights high for herself and even higher for her children and grandchildren,” Mr Obama said. MS Ledbetter continued her advocacy after the law was signed.
Last week, Advertising Week gave her a Future Is Female Lifetime Achievement Award, said AL.com, the Alabama news site. A new film about her life, Lilly, starring Patricia Clarkson, premiered last weekend at the Hamptons International Film Festival.
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
Rather than retreating into despair, Ledbetter channeled her frustration into action and became a national advocate for equal pay. Her name soon became synonymous with the struggle for wage equality as her case was raised widely in legislatures and around activist communities.
It was in 2009, just days after taking office, that President Barack Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law. This legislation extended the time frame for filing pay discrimination claims, thereby allowing workers to seek justice based on wage inequities discovered long after the actual original discriminatory decision was made.
In a poignant White House ceremony, Ledbetter stood at the president’s side when he declared, “Lilly didn’t set out to be a trailblazer or a household name — she was just a good, hard worker who did her job and looked out for her family. If we hadn’t had her courage, her grace, and her determination, this day might not have come.”
The law has since then turned out to become a cornerstone of equal pay advocacy and continues to empower workers to fight for just treatment in the workplace.
A Legacy of Advocacy
Ledbetter’s journey from the factory floor to the halls of Congress made her an eternal symbol of the broader fight for workplace equality. Her personal story resonated with countless women who had faced similar inequities and were denied the platform to speak out. She traveled the country sharing her story, inspiring others to do the same, and asking for greater protections under law against gender-based pay discrimination.
Former President Obama, in a statement, said: “Lilly Ledbetter never gave up the fight, even when the odds were stacked against her.” Her spirit and determination have given millions of women a voice, and her legacy will live on in every paycheck that is just a little bit fairer because of her courage.
A passionate advocate in her later years, Ledbetter collaborated with organizations such as the National Women’s Law Center and the American Association of University Women to continue to push for equal pay. She also wrote a memoir, Grace and Grit: My Fight for Equal Pay and Fairness at Goodyear and Beyond, discussing her personal struggles and victories.
Ledbetter’s work on the equal pay cause garnered her many accolades, including honorary degrees and awards by civil rights organizations. She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2011.
Tributes and Reflections
The news of her death sparked tributes by political leaders, activists, and citizens alike on social media. The vice president, Kamala Harris, tweeted, “Lilly Ledbetter was a force for justice. She refused to accept the status quo and fought for what was right. Her fight for equal pay changed the lives of millions of women and workers. Rest in power, Lilly.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also issued a statement saying, “Lilly Ledbetter’s legacy is one of courage, compassion, and unyielding dedication to equality. Her work transcends generations and will continue to inspire the next wave of leaders in the fight for fairness.”
Ledbetter leaves behind two children and several grandchildren. She has stated that her family has released a statement: “We are heartbroken by the loss of our beloved Lilly, but we find comfort in knowing that her legacy of fairness and justice will live on in the millions of lives she touched.
As the nation reflects on the life of Lilly Ledbetter, her work serves as a reminder that the fight for equal pay is far from over. Her relentless advocacy has inspired countless others to pick up the torch and continue the march toward workplace equality, ensuring that her legacy will continue to sh
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