Deep Dive

From Commitment to Credibility: Measuring Living Wage Gaps for Resilient Supply Chains

ORGANIZED BY

IDH, IDH Solutions

15-Sep

15:45-16:30

Conference Room 3

Living wage commitments are growing – but credibility depends on understanding the gap. Join practitioners to explore tools, methodologies, and lessons from global supply chains including across Asia, and discuss how measurement can support action, accountability, and meaningful stakeholder dialogue.

Topic in Focus

What makes a living wage claim credible – and how can robust wage-gap measurement help companies, workers, and suppliers move from commitment to action?

Overview

As expectations around living wages grow, companies are increasingly asked not only what they commit to, but how credibly they understand and address wage gaps in their own operations and across their supply chains.

Drawing on IDH's global experience developing living wage tools, methodologies, and roadmaps and the World Benchmarking Alliance's insights into company performance and disclosure, this interactive session will explore practical approaches to measuring living wage gaps and the key choices that shape outcomes.

Through examples from tea, aquaculture, apparel, and other supply chains across Asia, participants will discuss how credible data, transparent measurement, and verification can support informed decision-making, meaningful social dialogue, stakeholder trust, and collective action toward more resilient and equitable supply chains.

Why it matters

Living wages are increasingly recognized as a critical component of responsible business conduct, a root-cause issue linked to wider human rights risks and due diligence. Credible measurement of living wage gaps helps companies identify priorities, engage suppliers and workers more effectively, and build trust with investors, civil society, and regulators - a critical first step toward informed action, meaningful social dialogue, and more resilient and equitable supply chains.

Who should attend?

Businesses (from multinationals to small and medium enterprises).

What participants will gain

The business imperative to work on living wages – from external pressures such as human rights due diligence and investor demands to business benefits gained.
How buyers and suppliers can use wage data to strengthen accountability, inform investment decisions, and accelerate progress toward living wages.
How verification and assurance can enhance confidence in living wage data and build trust among workers, business partners, investors, and civil society.
How transparent wage gap measurement can enable more meaningful social dialogue and collaboration across supply chains.

Minu Sundaram

Director IDH Solutions, IDH Solutions

As the Director of IDH Solutions, Minu Sundaram leads the delivery of products and services, to scale the innovations of IDH Foundation across its impact themes of Better Jobs, Better Income and Better Environment. With a background in design and technology, she also heads up the Measurement step of the IDH Living Wage roadmap – expanding the Salary Matrix tool into a holistic living wage ecosystem. Her career of over 17 years has spanned innovation, design and delivery of products & services across Asia, Europe, Middle East, Central America and Africa.

Namit Agarwal

Head of Programme - Social & People Impact, World Benchmarking Alliance

Namit Agarwal is Head of Programme, People & Social Impact at the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA), where he leads work to assess and accelerate corporate action on human rights, decent work, gender equality, responsible AI and just transitions. With over 17 years of experience across business and human rights, corporate sustainability and social impact, Namit works with companies, investors, civil society and policymakers to advance people-centred approaches to sustainable development.

Sonia Cordera

Director Market Engagement, IDH

Sonia Cordera is Director Market Engagement at IDH The Sustainable Trade Initiative. Dynamic and passionate professional with 15+ years of experience in developing sustainable practices for complex international supply chains, by convening retailers, traders, producers and civil society organizations across multiple sectors ranging from aquaculture to fruit and vegetables and manufacturing industries. Sonia leads the development of the IDH Living Wages Roadmap with clear strategic vision. Deeply interested in international politics and economics, Sonia holds a PhD in History of International Relations from Florence University and a Master of Science in International Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London University.