Calculation of the living income gap

As part of its 2018-2022 program, the Trade for Development Center participated in a pilot project to calculate the "living income gap" among the households of cocoa producers in the Yeyasso cooperative. This pilot contributed to "Beyond Chocolate."

The main results of the pilot project are available here.

During its 2023-2028 program, TDC will coach 3 cooperatives to calculate the living income gap and develop action plans to try to reduce it.

TDC will also support action plans aimed at reducing this "living income gap" (diversification of activities, creation of VSLA, etc.) in 4 other cooperatives.

A capitalization study may be conducted in 2026 or 2027 and include other support from Enabel in this area.

Stakeholders concerned

• Department of HR
• Informal leaders
• Organizations (NGOs, cooperatives)
• Government institutions
• (Very) small businesses
• Medium-sized businesses
• National and regional governments
• Sectoral organizations
• Trade unions
• Vocational training centers
• Universities
• Labor Council
• Youth and women's organizations

Elements related to the 8 principles of decent work

Job security

• Stability and security of employment (contract, dismissal, loss/maintenance of employment)

Labour market security

• Unemployment, irregular work, and underemployment
• Professional development
• Occupational mobility
• Education and vocational training

Income security

• Decent income
• Regularity of income

Social protection

• Health insurance/sick leave
• Workplace accidents
• Retirement
• Maternity

Work-life balance

• Work, family, and private life reconciliation
• Work hours and working time
• Autonomy in work
• Job satisfaction

Fair treatment

• Discrimination in the workplace
• Violence
• Child labor
• Forced labor
• Fair remuneration for work
• Gender-based violence

Occupational health and safety

• Protective equipment
• Training/awareness
• Risks (ergonomic, biochemical, etc.)
• Impact on health

Voice and representation

• Participation
• Representation of workers
• Workers' freedom
• Workers' rights
• Complaints
• Inspections

Target groups

• Entrepreneurs
• Award recipients
• Employers
• Students
• Women
• Workers (informal)
• Youth

Enabel's field of action

• Better enforcement of labor law and social security
• Education & training
• Employment services
• Expanding access for vulnerable workers
• Facilitating dialogue and coordination of national and regional policies on decent work
• Gender
• Raising awareness of workers' rights
• Job creation
• Wages and living income
• Measuring progress towards decent work
• Promoting dialogue between tripartite actors
• Strengthening regulatory and legislative frameworks and decent work enforcement mechanisms

Location: Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Uganda.

Focal point: Samuel Poos, Coordinator (Trade for Development Centre), Enabel