Dual-phase (DP) steels, consisting of ferrite and martensite, are widely used in automotive structural components due to their excellent strength-elongation balance. However, their complex microstructure, characterized by a soft ferrite matrix with dispersed hard martensite islands, presents challenges during forming, such as strain localization, which can lead to early necking and reduced formability. A deeper understanding of their mechanical behavior is crucial for optimizing manufacturing efficiency and improving damage tolerance. Previous studies have reported improving damage tolerance via strain-hardening capability of ferrite and its role in suppressing void nucleation and growth assuming isotropic strain hardening [1]. However, this assumption is limited in capturing the load path dependence of hardening which is highly anisotropic in DP steels due to their complex microstructure. Consequently, there is a strong demand for assessing anisotropic strain hardening in DP steels for predicting forming processes using finite element methods. In this presentation, we present the anisotropic strain hardening capability of ferrite in DP800 studied by in combination of in situ scanning electron microscope (SEM) micropillar compression tests and controlled electron channeling contrast imaging (cECCI). To understand the latent hardening of ferrite, firstly, the sample was macroscopically deformed in tension, and the local dislocation characteristics, including their slip planes, Burgers vector, and local dislocation density, were analyzed using cECCI in a high-throughput manner. Subsequently, it was directly correlated with the local yield stress, i.e. critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) measured by micropillar compression. Slip systems of the pre-straining and dislocation density were varied by preparing samples near the Lüders bands, where the dislocation structure changes dramatically. Additionally, a macroscopic bending experiment was employed to obtain a gradient in dislocation density in a controlled manner, thus wide range of dislocation density was studied. We believe that this study will serve as a micromechanical basis for understanding damage-controlled forming processes.