Gail Collins, the author of this essay, is referencing Lilly Ledbetter in the title of this work. Ledbetter waged a successful series of litigation in the court system that led to the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009. This piece of legislation was the culmination of decades of struggle and effort put forth for equal rights by women. Collins describes the smaller political victories won by women such as Eulalie Cooper, who was forced to leave her flight attendant position because she married. Or Lorena Weeks, who was told later in her career that she was making a fraction of what her male counterparts were earning.
These women stood up, often alone, to fight for what they knew to be right. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was a result of these many small victories along the way. No longer can companies fill positions with men, citing that women are incapable of handling parts of the job responsibilities. It's evidence that individuals do make a significant difference and that small victories can shift to larger. Collins ties all these women together in this essay, pointing out "They're strangers to one another; most of them made their stands and then returned to their ordinary lives" (Collins, p. 490). These women were not part of a movement and didn't have a previous stand to make, they were simply reacting to what they saw as inequality. It makes me wonder if any of the small changes I've been able to create over the years will snowball towards a greater good. It will be important to remember these lessons when things seem impossible or insurmountable, you never know how much change is necessary at once...
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