Capital Club puts KATIE Ford Foundation CEO ‘Under the Spotlight’

Modern-day slavery is forced labour with no pay that is extracted under the threat of violence. Virtually every country in the world is affected by it, and there are an estimated 27 million people in this situation today. However, there are successful and sophisticated initiatives that exist that can help eradicate this. This was the core message delivered by the CEO of The KATIE Ford Foundation during an event hosted by the Capital Club Dubai, the region's premier private business club and a member of the ENSHAA group of companies.  

As part of its ‘Under the Spotlight’ series, Capital Club invited Katie Ford to share the work of the Foundation, which develops campaigns to raise awareness about human trafficking around the world, with its members.

The Katie Ford Foundation is dedicated to ending human trafficking and has two areas of concentration: working with businesses to ensure that they do not employ forced labour in their supply chains, and raising awareness about all forms of human trafficking internationally.

Through its work with business, the Foundation aims to inform companies and their advisors about solutions to forced labour in supply chains.

Explained Ford: “People are becoming more and more aware of the problem of forced labour in supply chains, in brands both big and small. When trying to eradicate forced labour from supply chains, it is crucial to look beyond the factories to every level that went into creating the end product. There are successful and sophisticated initiatives that exist today that help companies achieve the goal of selling slave-free products, and companies can save lives by following pre-existing measures to manage their supply chains and remediate problems within it.

“We work with companies to recommend different initiatives and programs that will help them achieve the goal of eradicating the rampant problem of forced labour. The initiatives go down to the raw material level of the supply chain, where much of the issue lies.”

The Katie Ford Foundation also partners with anti-trafficking organizations in countries like Montenegro, Ireland, Venezuela, Brazil, Nigeria, Malaysia, and the Philippines to help raise awareness and provide warning signs and guidance for people who hope to travel for work or study.

Ford, daughter of co-founders of the famous Ford Modelling Agency, Eileen and Jerry Ford, also spoke candidly about her transition from CEO of one of the world’s largest modelling agencies to becoming an active campaigner in the global fight against slavery.

“As CEO of Ford Models, I brought models from over 50 countries to the United States. Because most were foreign and young, they were potentially vulnerable. Ford Models had a history of protecting young women and men by providing housing, shelter, food, and medical care if needed. Ford Models had systems in place to protect the women and men with whom they worked. The work I do to fight human trafficking and forced labour is an extension of this work.”

In conclusion, she said: “There are organizations around the world working hard with scarce resources to rescue victims and create sustainable solutions to end the cycle of slavery. The Katie Ford Foundation strives to support these organizations and spread awareness of their valuable work.”