WOMEN in BUSINESS - April/May 2009 - (Page 6) A B WA n AT i O n A L Shattering the Glass Ceiling we think it’s very satisfying that the very first bill signed into law by President barack obama was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a law named for an Alabama woman who at the end of a 19-year career as a supervisor in a tire factory complained that she had been paid less than men. After a supreme Court ruling against her, Congress approved the legislation that expands workers’ rights to sue in this kind of case, relaxing the statute of limitations. “it is fitting that with the very first bill i sign—the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act—we are upholding one of this nation’s first principles: that we are all created equal and each deserve a chance to pursue our own version of happiness,” the president said. He said he was signing the bill not only in honor of ms. Ledbetter—who stood behind him, shaking her head and clasping her hands in seeming disbelief—but in honor of his own grandmother, “who worked in a bank all her life, and even after she hit that glass ceiling, kept getting up again,” and for his daughters, “because i want them to grow up in a nation that values their contributions, where there are no limits to their dreams.” no doubt that the entire membership of the AbwA can identify with that sentiment. we’ve all been there at some point in our careers. our children and grandchildren will be able to go to work with the full force of law arrayed behind their professional expertise. Plus, they can also have the power of the AbwA behind them too, always vigilant to ensure fairness in the workplace. we were moved recently when a 12year-old girl, who stated that her ultimate ambition is to become a successful entrepreneur, contacted us. she was already reaching out to organizations that she identified as able to assist her in realizing her career goals. How thrilling to hear the voice of a youngster articulate a vision that should have no impediments except the limits of her own ambition. when she finds herself at the helm of her own company, she can look back and thank women such as Lilly Ledbetter and countless others, who helped pave the way for her. she can also thank billie Jean King, the tennis great of the ‘60s and ‘70s, who used her tennis-playing career as a foundation on which to build her own entrepreneurial ventures, and who really transformed the public’s thinking about professional sports, putting women squarely on the court. Women In Business was fortunate to be able to interview ms. King for this issue. Her insight as a sports professional and now as a businesswoman make for valuable reading. The legal adjustments to the workplace only help to spur on AbwA members to pay it forward to the next generation as citizens of our communities. we’ve witnessed a lot of changes in our 60 years. we’ll be helping to usher in many more in the future. rené Street Executive Director Carolyn Elman Chief Executive Officer w o m e n i n b us i n e s s A p r / M Ay 2 0 0 9
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