Who Was Lilly Ledbetter? US Equal Pay Rights Advocate Passes Away

Lilly Ledbetter, one of the pioneers in advocating for gender equality in the workplace, passed away at age 86 on October 12, her family confirmed. The American activist died as a result of respiratory failure in Alabama, where she was born and raised. According to NBC News, her family said in a statement, "She was surrounded by her family and loved ones. Our mother lived an extraordinary life."

Lilly Ledbetter's Commitment To Women's Rights

Lilly Lynn McDaniel Ledbetter was born on April 14, 1938, and grew up in Jacksonville. She started her career at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama, as the assistant director of financial aid. In 1979, she started working at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. as a supervisor. She later became the area manager, a position predominantly occupied by men. 

Ledbetter told Forbes in a 2016 interview, "I took a job that had traditionally been considered a man’s job. I don’t agree with that term. It’s a job. Whether it’s a man, African American, Latino, heavy, skinny, whatever. If they’re the best qualified for that job, they should get it, and they should get the money to go with it.”

Lilly worked at the firm for nearly two decades and was about to retire when she received an anonymous note cautioning her that she was being paid thousands of dollars less than men in her position. She realised that had her pay raises remained consistent with the male employees', she would have made over $200,000 more than she had throughout her career.

Lilly sued Goodyear for sex discrimination and thus began the landmark Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. case, which completely revolutionised the pay equity fight in the USA. She initially won her case, but the judgment was reversed on appeal by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.  Lilly's suit then reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

The apex court ruled against Lilly because she did not file suit 180 days from the date of the discriminatory policy that led to her reduced paycheck. The Supreme Court did not consider whether her late discovery of the discriminatory action would excuse a failure to file within 180 days because her attorneys believed it would have made no difference in her case.

However, US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the 111th United States Congress fought to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009, seeking to reverse the Supreme Court's ruling and make it easier for a victim of pay discrimination to present a case easing the statute of limitations. It was the first Bill that then-President Barack Obama signed into law.

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.… pic.twitter.com/Z4ZxsDbIU5

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 14, 2024

After Lilly's passing, the former President and First Lady said on X, "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."