The recent fire that ravaged Ghana’s Kantamanto Market has left thousands without their primary source of income, exposing the fragile and unprotected nature of informal economies in the Global South. While questions remain about the fire’s origin, the market’s vulnerabilities—exacerbated by its unregulated growth—highlight the urgent need for stronger governance and social protection systems. This tragedy also raises critical questions about the role of global fashion brands in the export of secondhand clothes to markets like Kantamanto, and their responsibility in safeguarding the workers who rely on this trade.

At ARI, we’re excited to see the living wage movement gaining significant momentum, driven by key policy changes in the EU and beyond that promote wage transparency and fairness.
Here’s why these developments are so important and what they mean for workers, businesses, and society as a whole.

We (ARI) have recently published a report on living wages and family living expenses for the Lagunes, Vallée du Bandama, and Lacs districts in Côte d'Ivoire, using data collected in 2023 and adjusted for 2024 inflation. This blog explores the journey behind the study, highlighting how collaboration with stakeholders influenced our approach and amplified its impact.

On Friday, our Deputy Director Marcelo Delajara presented at an UN Global Compact Mexico event, held at the United Nations headquarters in Mexico City. Marcelo was asked to be a keynote speaker during the closing ceremony, it was the perfect opportunity to discuss one of the most critical challenges of our time: ensuring a living wage for workers in Mexico and beyond. Marcelo has written a blog on the presentation.

At the Anker Research Institute, we are proud to announce the publication of a living income report (with a living wage in the annexe) for rural areas and small towns of Chiapas, Mexico, with a focus on coffee-growing areas. This study was a very long gestation project, which required three years of planning, extensive stakeholder engagement, fieldwork in some of the most important coffee-producing areas of the country, and finally, the estimation of living income and the preparation for publication of this report.

On 9 August 2024, ARI Senior Researcher Ian Prates and Senior Data Analyst Mel Veneroso presented the Anker Methodology and their recent studies in Brazil at a webinar hosted by The National Labor Market Observatory (ONMT).

During the Living Wage and Living Income IDH summit in Amsterdam this week, the Global Living Wage Coalition hosted an event to celebrate 10 years of the GLWC.

Anker Research Institute launches groundbreaking living wage and living income estimates.

Producers in immigrant receiving countries, such as Costa Rica, often make the argument that a separate (and lower) living wage for migrants is justified. In this blog Koen Voorent, Senior Researcher, and lead author of the working paper ‘Same Job, Different Wage for Migrant? Discusses why this argument is problematic not just on the principle of equal pay for equal work but on discrimination based on nationally.

In light of the recent catastrophic floods in Brazil and around the world, questions arise about how working people, who are experiencing the devastating side effects of climate change, will navigate these uncertain times and how crucial it is, now more than ever, to pay a living wage. What role does living wage and living income play in answering their reality? Carmelita Veneroso, one of our researchers based in Brazil, has written a blog delving into the heart of the situation. She sheds light on the gravity of the disaster and its effect on the livelihoods of thousands of people, some of whom Carmelita and ARI Senior researcher, Ian Prates have both worked with personally.

Our corporate sponsors, Rat & Boa, interviewed our founders, Martha and Richard, about everything ARI. Read about how they met, how their careers started, and why, when most people would be putting their feet up after retirement, they decided to start Anker Research Institute.

Sally Smith, Senior Researcher and Gender Lead at Anker Research Institute talks about the key drivers for gender pay gaps from her recent study ‘Gender Pay Gaps in Global Supply Chains: Findings from Workplaces in Bangladesh, Colombia, Morocco, Thailand and Turkey’.

She talks about stereotypes and skill gaps and features quotes from workers who contributed to the study.

The GLWC commends the International Labour Organization's recognition of the importance of living wage and its efforts to advance discussion and action towards the provision of an adequate living wage for all workers. Decent wages are essential in reducing poverty and inequality, as well as in ensuring a decent and dignified life and in advancing social justice for all workers globally.

Written by Wilbert Flinterman, Senior Advisor, Workers’ Rights and Trade Union Relations at Fairtrade International, on the recent Global Conference of the World Banana Forum. Wilbert and ARI’s founders Richard Anker and Martha Anker were present at the 4th Global Conference that took place at the FAO in Rome. Wilbert spoke at the event and has written a piece covering his thoughts from the recent meeting.

On February 28, the Anker Research Institute (ARI) and Fairtrade presented the results of an Anker Benchmark Living Wage study which focused on three important banana growing districts of Côte d’Ivoire (Lagunes, Vallee du Bandama, and Lacs). This ARI research study was led by Dr. Yapo N'Guessan, an associate professor at the Jean Lorougnon Guede University in Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire and included Ivorian and ARI researchers.

With more companies seeking to foster and protect workers’ rights in global supply chains, the need for accurate information on working conditions is becoming ever more important. This includes information on gender pay gaps in the factories and farms that supply supermarkets and high street shops worldwide. Yet, gender pay gaps are typically only monitored at national levels, which may be a poor predictor of what’s happening in any given workplace. The Anker Research Institute’s new report on gender pay gaps in global supply chains is an effort to start addressing this information gap.

Launching 23rd February

Ten years have passed since the first study, and what started as a project by two researchers Martha Anker and Richard Anker has grown into a dedicated team and research network spanning the globe. To celebrate, we have decided to give the Anker Research Institute a new look inspired by the original cover of the Anker Methodology book by Martha Anker and Richard Anker published in 2017.