**Lilly Ledbetter, Catalyst for Equal Pay Legislation, Dies at 86**

Lilly Ledbetter, a trailblazing activist whose name became synonymous with the fight for equal pay in the United States, has passed away at 86. According to CBS, the BBC's US news partner, her children reported that she died peacefully on Saturday, surrounded by family and loved ones. "Our mother lived an extraordinary life," her family stated.

Ledbetter's relentless pursuit of workplace equality significantly impacted US labor laws. Her activism culminated in the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, the first bill signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2009. This landmark legislation enabled workers to file lawsuits upon discovering pay discrimination, helping to ensure fair treatment in the workplace. President Obama remarked that the law underscored the principle that "there are no second-class citizens in our workplaces."

Ledbetter’s career spanned nearly two decades at Goodyear in Alabama, where she worked as a supervisor. It was only late into her tenure that she discovered her male counterparts were earning more for the same job. Initially, the Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that her complaint was invalid because it was not filed within six months of the discrimination's onset. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act effectively overturned that ruling, offering a more just timeframe for filing such suits.

In a tribute on Twitter, Obama highlighted Ledbetter’s modest origins, noting that she "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." He also praised her determination, saying, "Lilly did what so many Americans before her have done: setting her sights high for herself and even higher for her children and grandchildren."

Even after the law bearing her name was enacted, Ledbetter continued to advocate for fair treatment and pay equity, remaining an inspiring figure in the fight against workplace discrimination.