Nepal today launched a National Campaign on Social Security for Informal Workers and the Self-Employed, a major step toward ensuring that millions of workers currently outside formal safety nets can access protection across the life cycle.
The scale of the challenge is clear: over 86 percent of workers in Nepal are in informal employment, and women are disproportionately affected-over 90 percent of employed women work informally.
Yet, while nearly 2.7 million workers are registered with the Social Security Fund (SSF), the number of informal workers and the self-employed enrolled is only about 1500-highlighting a critical inclusion gap.
The campaign-launched by the Social Security Fund (SSF) in collaboration with the ILO Nepal, brings together government institutions, employers' and workers' organizations, local governments, civil society, and the media to expand coverage to those who need it most.
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Speaking at the launch, Numan Özcan, ILO Country Director for Nepal, said: "This campaign is about ensuring that no worker is left behind. Social security is fundamental to equity, economic resilience, and inclusive development."
Why this matters for women
For many women in informal work, the absence of social security is not an abstract policy gap-it can determine whether maternity means protection or loss of income, whether illness leads to treatment or debt, and whether old age brings dignity or dependence.
This is why the campaign is supported through EU funding under the women's empowerment programme (EWPN)-to help strengthen women's economic agency and reduce vulnerability across generations.
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Mr. Jose-Luis Vinuesa-Santamaria, Head of Cooperation, European Union (EU) Delegation to Nepal stated, "Social security is a right and a forward-looking investment in people, deeply rooted in Europe's own social model. The EU affirms that workers have the right to social protection regardless of the type and duration of their work."
Progress-and the gap to close
Nepal has built a strong legal foundation through the Constitution and the Contribution-Based Social Security Act (2017) and has expanded coverage rapidly in recent years.
Effective social protection coverage has increased from 17 percent (2021) to 21 percent (2023), but major challenges remain in adequacy and inclusion.
The Government's 16th Periodic Development Plan commits to expanding coverage to 60 percent of the population and significantly reducing informality by 2028.
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Chief guest at the event Honourable Mr Rajendra Singh Bhandari, Minister, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS), said, "The umbrella in the logo of this campaign is symbolic. No matter how heavy the rain, what matters is how strong the umbrella is. Social security should act as that protective armour. Poorly integrated systems lead to social unrest, conflict, and forced migration, realities we already face."
He added, "Employment, labour, and social security are interconnected, yet our resources are treated as liabilities rather than assets. Beyond time-bound plans, it is our responsibility to strengthen systems. Change cannot rely on individuals alone; it is the State's duty. This campaign is both our responsibility and an opportunity for real transformation."
"Social security is not a luxury but a human right" remarked Dr Krishna Hari Puskar, Secretary, MoLESS.
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What the campaign will do
To close the coverage gap-particularly for informal workers, the self-employed, MSMEs, and women workers-the campaign will focus on:
- Strengthening local governance so local governments can identify, register, and enrol informal workers.
- Operationalizing contribution subsidies through stronger coordination across federal, provincial, and local levels.
- Raising public awareness through mass media and community outreach on benefits and enrolment processes.
- Enhancing digital integration, including the use of ILMIS and OpenIMIS, to support registration and service delivery.
- Strengthening partnerships among government, employers' and workers' organizations, and civil society to make expansion work in practice.
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A call to social partners-and the media
The campaign calls on employers' and workers' organizations to help take social security to workplaces and communities where informal workers are concentrated, and to support enrolment-especially among women workers facing additional barriers.
It also calls on the media to help turn the campaign into real results by sharing practical information on enrolment, amplifying women workers' voices, and tracking progress-how many informal workers are reached, how many women enrol, and what changes on the ground.
In this spirit, the launch programme included a training session for journalists to strengthen accurate and accessible reporting on social security.
"Extending social security is a development imperative-central to reducing poverty and vulnerability and building resilience against shocks and climate risks. With coordinated action, a system that works for all is within reach," Mr. Özcan concluded.
