A design sprint in Kathmandu, Nepal brought together 14 worker representatives to co-develop union-led training tools aimed at supporting informal domestic and waste management workers. With 84.6% of Nepal’s workforce engaged in informal employment—many of whom are women—there is a pressing need for inclusive, rights-based solutions. These workers often lack formal contracts, social security coverage, and trade union representation.
Trade unions in Nepal play a vital role in organizing informal workers, providing legal and social assistance, and advocating for policy reforms to improve working conditions and social protection. To strengthen this role, the ILO Country Office for Nepal, the ILO Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV), and the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO) launched a hybrid design sprint on 25 July 2025. The initiative brought together trainers from Nepal’s major trade union confederations—ANTUF, GEFONT, and NTUC.
In future sessions, these trainers will convert their materials into interactive and inclusive training modules. These will cover essential topics such as labour rights, the social security system, freedom of association, collective bargaining, violence and harassment, and decent work. The initiative is part of the ILO’s Promoting Rights and Social Inclusion (PRS) Phase 2 project, which supports informal workers’ transition to formal employment in India, Nepal, and Pakistan.
In Nepal, the PRS project collaborates with ANTUF, GEFONT, NTUC, the Solid Waste Management Association of Nepal (SWMAN), and local municipalities. Together, they work to promote the rights, health, safety, and dignity of domestic and waste management workers across the country.
