Enhancing People’s Lives

Automotive companies can make a positive impact on millions of people by empowering employees and protecting human rights in the supply chain. We know, because we’ve been doing it for more than a century.

Will greater gender equality shape the workplace of tomorrow?

The challenges faced by women at work and the benefits of diversity are both widely understood, yet equal gender representation is a challenge for many businesses. Creating workplaces that foster equality and inclusion, through training, awareness-raising and strong talent pipelines, requires cultural transformation and proactive leadership.

Our Goal

We aspire to become the most inclusive and diverse global company

Three women wearing Warriors in Pink shirts

The corporate landscape is dynamic and disruptive, so companies increasingly need fresh thinking and new perspectives from a diverse workforce. To ensure we remain an employer of choice and stay fit for the future, we’re changing how we work. Our Smart Redesign plan will drive a global transformation of Ford’s entire structure and culture, as well as our values and behaviors, now known as Our Truths (pdf, 48KB).

Taking CEO Action

Jim Hackett, our President and CEO, has joined hundreds of other business leaders in supporting CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, signing the “I Act On” pledge on Ford’s behalf.

Watch our video on I Choose Inclusion

Read how we’re working toward gender diversity

How do we protect human rights in the automotive supply chain?

A typical car contains around 40,000 parts, comprising up to 1,000 different materials, all of which need to be sourced ethically and responsibly. This requires collaboration between stakeholders to identify risks, agree on remedial actions, share best practice and adopt measures to monitor and report on any action taken.

Our Goal

We aspire to responsibly source all raw materials used within our vehicles globally

Ford employee holding a part of a car

An electric car battery contains up to 20 pounds of cobalt, and demand is rising as more drivers switch to electrified vehicles. Most of the world’s cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a country affected by civil war, political instability and forced labor. This makes the responsible sourcing of the cobalt needed for battery production a challenge that we can only hope to solve by working collaboratively with our supply chain partners to develop a chain of trust and transparency.

Excavator machine

See how we’re developing a chain of trust and transparency

Are companies progressing from corporate giving to community investment?

Businesses need healthy, vibrant communities, and corporate philanthropy is only one way to help them flourish. Companies are becoming increasingly strategic with their community support, giving time, money and effort to projects that align with their key activities and business objectives.

Focusing on three key areas, we support good causes in our neighborhoods and build partnerships to address the challenges faced by communities around the world.

Find out more about how Ford supports communities.

Two women helping out in the community

Our Three Key Areas of Focus

  • Community Life
    Through our global Operation Better World initiative, we support projects focused on mobility, education and sustainable communities
  • Education
    We foster a passion among young people for technology, engineering and science through our FIRST® Robotics program and the Ford STEAM High School Community Challenge
  • Driver Safety
    Now active in 43 countries, our Ford Driving Skills for Life (Ford DSFL) program trains new drivers on speed awareness, distracted driving, and the effects of drugs and alcohol, through hands-on courses, classroom sessions and an online academy
A man and woman hugging

Find out how we’re supporting our local communities

Sustainable Development Goals

Through our work in enhancing people’s lives, we are contributing to the following UN SDGs:

  • SDG 3: Good health and well-being
  • SDG 4: Quality education
  • SDG 5: Gender equality
  • SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth
  • SDG 10: Reduced inequalities

Further reading on this topic

1 While this ratio provides a rough measure of pay equity, it does not account for individual circumstances such as job titles, education, and experience. Such factors may explain much of the difference between the female and male averages. A peer group consists of employees in the same region, salary grade, and skill team, when available.