Lilly Ledbetter, a former factory manager from Alabama who became a prominent symbol of the equal pay movement, passed away at the age of 86. Her journey began when she discovered that her paycheck at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant was significantly lower than that of her male colleagues for performing the same job. This realization prompted her to file a lawsuit, which ultimately did not succeed when the Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that she had missed the deadline to file her complaint. According to the court’s decision, employees are required to initiate lawsuits within six months of receiving a discriminatory paycheck, which in Ledbetter’s case occurred years before she learned of the pay inequity through a confidential letter.
In 2009, however, progress arrived with the enactment of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, introduced by former President Barack Obama. This legislation allowed employees to file claims within 180 days of receiving each discriminatory paycheck rather than being limited to the first paycheck received. “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,” Obama stated, emphasizing her determination to seek equal pay for herself and future generations.
Ledbetter’s family announced on Saturday that she had passed away due to respiratory failure. Despite the challenges she faced, she continued to advocate for equal pay long after the law named in her honor was passed. Recently, a film chronicling her life, featuring Patricia Clarkson, premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival. The film’s team expressed their condolences through social media, noting, “Lilly was an ordinary woman who achieved extraordinary things, and her story continues to motivate us all.”
In January, President Joe Biden commemorated the 15th anniversary of the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act by introducing new rules aimed at narrowing the gender pay gap. These measures included prohibiting federal employers from considering a prospective employee’s past salary history when determining their pay. Ledbetter had vocally supported this move in an editorial for Ms. Magazine, co-authored with Deborah Vagins, who leads the Equal Pay Today organization. Nevertheless, Ledbetter and other fairness advocates expressed concern over stalled progress on broader initiatives such as the Paycheck Fairness Act, which aims to enhance the Equal Pay Act of 1963.
Recent data from the Census Bureau revealed a troubling trend, indicating that the gender wage gap had widened for the first time in two decades. In 2023, full-time working women earned just 83 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts, a decrease from 84 cents in 2022. Advocates have voiced their frustration over the stagnation of improvements in the wage gap, stressing the systemic issues that contribute to these disparities, such as the concentration of women in lower-paying sectors and inadequate childcare systems that often force them to withdraw from their careers during critical earning years.
At the peak of the #MeToo movement in 2018, Ledbetter authored an opinion piece in The New York Times, where she shared her experiences with harassment while managing at the Goodyear factory, linking it to wage discrimination. Emily Martin, a key figure at the National Women’s Law Center, spotlighted Ledbetter’s unwavering dedication to the cause, stating, “She was indefatigable… always ready to lend her voice.”
During her 19-year tenure at the Goodyear plant in Gadsden, Alabama, Ledbetter was alerted by an anonymous note about her substantial pay gap compared to her male colleagues, leading her to file a lawsuit in 1999. Although she initially won $3.8 million from a federal court for back pay and damages, the Supreme Court ultimately overturned this decision, leaving her without the compensation. Despite the inability of the law directly addressing the gender wage gap, advocates like Martin believe it set a crucial precedent for enforcing equitable pay practices.
“She is truly an inspiration, demonstrating how a loss does not equate to inability to fight back and win,” Martin added, reflecting on Ledbetter’s legacy. The continued struggle for pay equity is especially pronounced among women of color, highlighting the persistent and multi-layered issues linked to the gender wage gap. Ledbetter’s tireless efforts and her legacy will surely be a catalyst for ongoing advocacy in the fight for equal pay.