Lilly Ledbetter, a champion for equal pay who inspired the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, passed away Saturday night at the age of 86. According to a statement from her family, Ledbetter died peacefully, surrounded by her loved ones. Her groundbreaking fight for equal pay became a symbol of the struggle against workplace discrimination, and her advocacy helped shape the first bill signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2009.
Ledbetter worked for Goodyear Tire & Rubber in Alabama for nearly two decades before discovering she had been paid less than her male colleagues for the same work. Her efforts led to the passing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which allows workers to sue for pay discrimination within six months of discovering it, regardless of when it began. Former President Obama praised Ledbetter as a trailblazer, saying she fought not only for herself but for future generations.
Even after the law was enacted, Ledbetter continued her advocacy for equal pay. She was recently honored with the Future Is Female Lifetime Achievement Award and was the subject of a new film, Lilly, which premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival.
Pic Courtesy: google/ images are subject to copyright
