Ford Otosan gender-smart climate finance

About

In Turkey, the EBRD has provided a €650 million long-term syndicated loan to support Ford Otomotiv Sanayi A.S. (Ford Otosan) at its production facilities in Kocaeli. The investment will be used to finance the production of one-tonne commercial vehicles with battery electrical and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The project will help Ford Otosan become the first European integrated production centre for the assembly of electric vehicles in Turkey.

Approach and impact

The project promotes gender equality by maintaining and implementing higher standards on gender inclusion. Throughout the years, Ford Otosan has been extensively working on the promotion of gender equality and committed to actively improving women’s career opportunities. For instance, it introduced a 50 per cent women quota for its internship programmes, as well as working towards recruiting women to 50 per cent of white collar positions and introducing a 25 per cent target for blue collar workers. In 2020, Ford Otosan conducted women-only workshops and trained women on Gender-Based Violence and Harassment (GBVH) risks while raising awareness on reporting and support mechanisms. With this project, Ford Otosan will continue to develop and implement new training on GBVH, with a particular lens on digitalising work at all facilities throughout 2021 and beyond, including with value chain partners.