Ford is the first automaker to sign the U.N. Women’s Empowerment Principles
Photo: Ford
In its 2020 Sustainability Report, Ford Motor Company revealed that it is the first company from the automotive industry to sign the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles. Created by the U.N. Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and the U.N. Global Compact, the WEPs push for full gender equality both in the workplace and in society.
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Ford CEO Jim Hackett signed the WEPs earlier this year, calling the automaker “an organization built on a foundation of integrity and driving human progress.”
“Our support for this and many other United Nations programs underscores the actions that Ford has already taken in support of gender equality and nondiscrimination and demonstrates our commitment to helping to advance women in the workplace and society at large,” Hackett said.
Ford’s latest step toward gender equality
Ford’s chief diversity officer, Lori Costew, says that the automaker will use the seven Women’s Empowerment Principles as it demonstrates its commitment to the 2030 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable Development Goal 5 calls for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
Other actions Ford has taken to promote full gender equality include the requirement for all global managers and recruiters to take unconscious bias training, which helps minimize the potential for discriminatory hiring practices. Ford also signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, was part of the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, and launched the SHE-MOVES mobility program to lift up female entrepreneurs around the world.
Each of the seven U.N. Women’s Empowerment Principles focuses on different areas of growth for companies and recommend actions for achieving that growth. One principle is equal treatment in the workplace, with the U.N. recommending steps such as equal pay and access to child and dependent care services.
Ford released its 21st annual Sustainability Report last week, in which it also revealed that it plans to go fully carbon neutral by 2050. We’ll have to see if more automotive companies commit to gender equality.
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Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.
