Mar 25, 2023

March is Women’s History month and thus a time when we take notice of Women’s achievements, past and present. Men have historically held the seats of political, business, and theological power making the history we all learned male-centered by default. Despite this, it is long overdue that we recognize the stories and efforts of the dedicated women that too often don’t often make it to the history books. 

Tiffany Weideman Standing with a Happy Customer and her New Vehicle

Women Keep Benna Ford Running

Both at the manufacturer and dealership level, the automotive world has traditionally been seen as a male bastion. But at Benna Ford, over a fourth of our staff are women, and luckily, that number keeps growing. We know that without the women on our staff, Benna Ford would cease to operate. Without Carla Ringold, our advertising wouldn’t go out. Kimberly Hobbs, Billie Suomala, and Tiffany Weideman almost entirely comprise our Business Development Center. The women of Benna Ford keep the office running, get the titles transferred, and see that everyone gets paid. They are key to the operation and success of our store.

Three Women from the 1950's Looking at a Slip of Paper

The Ford Foundation’s Long History of Supporting Women’s Causes

We are grateful that the manufacturer of the products we sell, Ford, established the Ford Foundation in 1936. Among its many endeavors, the foundation has been committed to advancing gender equality for nearly 60 years, supporting hundreds of dauntless activists, organizations, and initiatives with more than $3 billion in grants. From the very beginning, the foundation followed the lead of women pioneering the feminist movement in the United States. They later expanded and learned by listening to the women in the trenches in Africa, South Asia, and Latin America as we expanded our support worldwide. They have regularly invested in the ideas, individuals, and institutions on the front lines, so they can carry their work forward and optimize their impact.

Women at a Protest

Thanks to these and other efforts, women’s rights have come a long way in the past 50-60 years. Even with these strides, a significant gender income gap remains and more than 2.7 billion women are legally restricted from having the same choice of jobs as men. Much has been accomplished, but it is an ongoing and noble struggle. Even as we hope you visit our Benna Ford dealership to shop for a new or used vehicle or service your existing one, we hope you take some time this month and thereafter to think about the role women have played in our history and look at the goals and efforts of our present women history makers.