KATHMANDU, December 20 — The International Labour Organization (ILO) has initiated the STREAM Programme in Nepal, holding consultations with national stakeholders to strengthen social protection systems and fair recruitment for Nepali migrant workers in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The initiative aims to address structural gaps in social security access for the approximately 4.5 million Nepali workers employed abroad, with a specific focus on low-wage and women migrant workers.
Recent consultations involved the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, the Social Security Fund (SSF), trade unions, and civil society organizations. Discussions centered on connecting Nepal’s national systems, such as the migrant-inclusive social security scheme, with systems in GCC destination countries to ensure that benefits earned abroad provide income security for workers and their families upon return.
Current data from an ILO survey indicates that despite legislative advances, significant gaps remain in de facto access to social protection for Nepali workers in the Gulf. Vulnerabilities are particularly high for those in the domestic and care sectors. Stakeholders emphasized the need for gender-responsive measures and increased awareness so workers understand their rights and the procedures for claiming entitlements.
"Nepal has taken important steps to build national systems to protect its workers abroad, particularly through the Social Security Fund and welfare services," said Numan Özcan, ILO Country Director for Nepal. "The priority now is to explore durable cooperation with GCC partners to better connect these systems, so that the social rights Nepali migrant workers earn abroad translate into real social protection for them and their families at home."
The STREAM Programme, formally titled “Extending social protection to migrant workers and their families in the South Asia–Gulf corridor,” is part of a regional effort. Karina Levina, Technical Officer with the STREAM Programme, stated that the regional perspective helps "amplify the voice of countries of origin and better connect systems across borders."
To support evidence-based action, the consultations identified a need for improved data collection regarding migrant workers' access to rights in GCC countries. In Nepal, the STREAM Programme will operate alongside the ILO’s Migrant Rights and Decent Work (MiRiDeW) project and the Partnership on Protecting and Promoting the Rights of Nepali Migrant Workers (PPR-MW).
The STREAM initiative is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Foreign Policy Instrument of the European Union, and the Ford Foundation.
