Nepal has launched a National Campaign on Social Security for Informal Workers and the Self-Employed, marking a major step toward extending social protection to millions of workers outside formal safety nets. The initiative aims to provide access to social security throughout the life cycle, promoting equity, economic resilience, and inclusive development.
The scale of the challenge is significant: over 86 percent of workers in Nepal are employed informally, with women disproportionately affected—more than 90 percent of employed women work outside formal systems. While nearly 2.7 million workers are registered with the Social Security Fund (SSF), only about 1,500 informal workers and self-employed individuals are enrolled, highlighting a critical gap in inclusion.
The campaign, launched by the SSF in collaboration with ILO Nepal, brings together government institutions, employers’ and workers’ organizations, local governments, civil society, and the media. Its purpose is to expand coverage to those most in need and ensure that no worker is left behind. ILO Country Director for Nepal, Numan Özcan, emphasized that social security is fundamental to equitable and sustainable development.
For women in informal work, access to social security is particularly critical, affecting maternity protection, healthcare access, and economic security in old age. The campaign is supported through EU funding under the Women’s Empowerment Programme (EWPN) to strengthen women’s economic agency and reduce vulnerabilities across generations. The EU has reaffirmed its commitment to social protection for all workers, recognizing it as a human right and a forward-looking investment in people.
Nepal has laid a strong legal foundation through its Constitution and the Contribution-Based Social Security Act (2017), and social protection coverage has increased from 17 percent in 2021 to 21 percent in 2023. Despite this progress, significant challenges remain in adequacy and inclusion. The Government’s 16th Periodic Development Plan sets a goal of expanding coverage to 60 percent of the population and substantially reducing informality by 2028.
Government leaders highlighted the symbolic importance of the campaign, comparing social security to an umbrella that protects citizens during storms. They stressed that employment, labour, and social security are interconnected and that strengthening systems is the responsibility of the state, not individuals alone. Social security was emphasized as a fundamental human right, essential to reducing vulnerability and preventing social unrest or forced migration.
The campaign focuses on practical measures to close the coverage gap, including strengthening local governance to identify and enrol informal workers, operationalizing contribution subsidies, raising public awareness, enhancing digital integration for registration and service delivery, and fostering partnerships among government, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and civil society. Local governments shared experiences and challenges to inform implementation strategies.
The initiative also calls on social partners and the media to support enrolment, especially for women, and to provide accurate information on social security benefits and processes. Training sessions for journalists were conducted to ensure accessible reporting and accountability. The campaign underscores that extending social security is central to reducing poverty, building resilience, and ensuring a system that works for all Nepali workers.
