Lilly Ledbetter, Fair Pay Advocate, Will be Keynote Speaker at Center for American Women and Politics’ NEW Leadership New Jersey Summer Institute Friday, June 5
| WHO: | Lilly Ledbetter, advocate for pay equity whose $3 million jury award against the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007, will be keynote speaker for Rutgers’ Center for American Women and Politics’ NEW (National Education for Women) Leadership New Jersey Summer Institute. |
| WHAT: | The NEW Leadership New Jersey Summer Institute, created by the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers’ Eagleton Institute of Politics, is a national program to educate, inspire and empower the next generation of women leaders. The program teaches college women the value of civic engagement and encourages them to see themselves as empowered leaders who can effectively participate in politics and public policy. This summer, 39 students from 22 colleges and universities across New Jersey, including all three Rutgers campuses, will participate in the June 4-9 residential program. |
| WHEN: |
Keynote address 7 p.m. Friday, June 5 |
| WHERE: | Eagleton Institute of Politics, 191 Ryders Lane, Douglass Campus, New Brunswick |
| BACKGROUND: |
After learning that her pay at Goodyear had been consistently much less than that of almost all her male co-workers for almost 20 years, Ledbetter sued and won a jury verdict of more than $3 million. In 2007, the Supreme Court overturned that award, ruling that she had waited too long to bring her claim. Although she won no monetary award, outrage at her case led to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, allowing victims of pay discrimination more time to file complaints. The bill was passed by the 111th Congress and signed by President Obama in January 2009. Ledbetter has testified multiple times before Congress and travels the country as an advocate for pay equity. Students participating in NEW Leadership meet with women in a variety of public roles to learn about their political participation, explore ideas about leadership and politics, and actively engage in skills-building exercises. |
Media Contact: Sue Nemeth
732-932-9384, ext. 229
E-mail: gsnemeth@rci.rutgers.edu