Honoring Lilly Ledbetter

2025 marks the 16th anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and this Women’s History Month we’re honoring the legacy of Lilly Ledbetter — the “Mother of the Fair Pay movement” — on Equal Pay Day, March 25th. Equal Pay Day is dedicated to raising awareness of the gender pay gap, and symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year, although the specific day varies significantly among women of color. As you reflect on Lilly’s legacy, may you be inspired to continue to drive meaningful change for a more thriving and sustainable workforce for all.

On January 29, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the first piece of legislation of his administration: The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. Named after women’s rights and equal pay activist Lilly Ledbetter, it not only amended the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, but also overturned the Supreme Court’s decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (2007), which restricted the 180-day time period for filing employment compensation discrimination complaints.

Group photo of five smiling members of Congress, President Barack Obama in a black suit and signing the he Lilly Ledbetter Bill with Lilly Ledbetter, at center in a red blazer and blonde bob, behind President Barack Obama

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, currently “on average, women working full-time, year-round are paid 84% of what men are paid.” Additionally, since the 2022 Fiscal Year, the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Department of Justice have recovered over $20 million dollars in relief for women who have experienced workplace pay discrimination. To help address this persistent issue, the NCWIT Workforce Alliance mobilizes year-round with professionals at member companies to continue carrying the baton for fair pay nationwide.

Lilly Ledbetter was born, raised, and educated in Alabama. It was in her home state that her career began, but her life’s work brought her to the nation’s capital. When hired as an overnight supervisor at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Lilly was paid the same as her counterparts. However, by the end of her almost 20-year career at Goodyear, she was earning less than any of the men in the same position — despite earning a top performance award. 

An anonymous note listing all of the salaries of men performing the same job changed the course of her life. She filed a formal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and in 1999, sued Goodyear for employment discrimination. She alleged pay discrimination under the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and was initially awarded $3.8 million, though the district judge later reduced the amount to $360,000) – but Goodyear still refused to pay, and the decision was overturned when the company appealed.

“(The wage gap) is the reality I feel the responsibility to share with the young women I meet across the country. While I was in their shoes decades ago, the reality of pay discrimination hasn’t disappeared. One reason for that is our laws just aren’t good enough.”
Photo of Lilly Ledbetter wearing a white turtleneck and blue-green blazer and smiling toward the viewer
Lilly Ledbetter
Fair Pay Champion

Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company made its way to the Supreme Court in 2007. Although Ledbetter was treated and paid unfairly due to her sex, Goodyear appealed, saying their actions were non-discriminatory, only focusing on worker performance and competence. Ultimately, the Supreme Court determined that because her lawsuit was filed outside of the required 180-day statutory limitation period, she was not entitled to a monetary award.

While the case didn’t end in her favor, it sparked an enduring commitment to addressing the gender wage gap – and she continued to lobby for equal pay for the rest of her life by pursuing federal legislative solutions like the Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act, as well as proposing to end the practice of using an applicant’s prior pay to set new pay for federal employees and contracting applicants, which is known to enable pay discrimination to follow women and people of color from one job to the next.

“Lilly could have accepted her lot and moved on. She could have decided that it wasn’t worth the hassle and harassment that would inevitably come with speaking up for what she deserved. But instead, she decided that there was a principle at stake, something worth fighting for. So she set out on a journey that would take more than 10 years, take her all the way to the Supreme Court, and lead to this bill which will help others get the justice she was denied. Because while this bill bears her name, Lilly knows this story isn’t just about her. It’s the story of women across this country still earning just 78 cents for every dollar men earn – women of color even less… Countless women are still losing thousands of dollars in salary, income, and retirement savings over the course of a lifetime.”

– President Obama, remarks on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

Obama also noted that Lilly lost more than $200,000 in salary, and even more in pension and Social Security benefits, over the course of her career. These issues don’t just impact employees, but families and communities too, particularly as parents struggle to keep up with increasing tuition, childcare, and other costs of living.

“For decades, Lilly was shortchanged by her employer and paid less than men in the same job. She fought back and took her fight all the way to the Supreme Court. Lilly has shown strength and perseverance in the face of injustice. She is an inspiration to the entire equal pay movement… and it is why I am so proud to be leading the next step in the fight for pay equity — the Paycheck Fairness Act, because equal pay for equal work must be the law of the land. Thank you, Lilly, for leading the way.”

– US Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.

In the decade that followed her case, Lilly built a collaborative movement to generate momentum and pass her namesake law so that others could receive the justice she was denied. 

“If there had been fairness in setting my wages or more transparency in salaries when I worked at Goodyear Tire, I would have been able to take home what I truly earned. We should want that for all workers. Until then, the fight continues.”

– Lilly Ledbetter

▶ Watch Lilly Ledbetter discuss the Fair Pay Act:

Lilly Ledbetter passed away in October 2024, but her legacy as the “Mother of the Fair Pay movement” will forever remain.

"I'll be happy if the last thing they say about me after I die is that I made a difference."

Lilly Ledbetter

January 29th marked the 16th anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The following organizations continue to advance her work:

A design of women’s rights and equal pay activist Lilly Ledbetter, includes a photo of Lilly Ledbetter speaking at a podium in front of a crowd wearing a black suit stylized with green borders

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