{"id":65395,"date":"2026-01-04T04:02:26","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T04:02:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lirneasia.net\/futureworksasia\/?post_type=projects&p=65395"},"modified":"2026-01-22T10:17:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T10:17:00","slug":"fields-without-safety-nets","status":"publish","type":"projects","link":"https:\/\/lirneasia.net\/futureworksasia\/projects\/fields-without-safety-nets\/","title":{"rendered":"Fields Without Safety Nets: Analysis of Gendered Informality in the Agricultural Sector and Cost of Social Insecurity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Grantee<\/strong>: Nepal Development Research Institute (NDRI)
Partner organizations<\/strong>: N\/A
Country of focus:<\/strong> Nepal
Grant period:<\/strong> November 2025 \u2013 January  2027<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

FutureWORKS Asia<\/a> is part of the FutureWORKS Collective, a global initiative supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada<\/a>, aimed at addressing the evolving challenges in the world of work across the Global South. As the Asian arm of the broader FutureWORKS network, the initiative is led by LIRNEasia<\/a> and focuses on supporting high-quality, innovative, and gender-responsive research to inform skills development and policy pathways for an inclusive and sustainable future of work in Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the completion of the first competitive selection process, five research projects under Cycle 1 are currently ongoing. In November 2025, FutureWORKS Asia onboarded seven additional research projects under Cycle 2, expanding the regional research network. These Cycle 2 projects will run until April 2027, deepening evidence and policy engagement across diverse future-of-work themes, including climate transitions, gender, and labour market transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NDRI has been selected to conduct a 15 month research and advocacy project, Fields Without Safety Nets: Analysis of Gendered Informality in the Agricultural Sector and Cost of Social Insecurity.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This project examines why women working in Nepal\u2019s agricultural sector rely more heavily on banks, cooperatives, and microfinance institutions than on government-led social protection schemes. Despite progressive policies such as Nepal\u2019s Social Security Act (2018), uptake among rural women remains low, even as they shoulder increasing responsibilities in farming and unpaid care work due to male outmigration and climate pressures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project investigates how informal work arrangements, gendered labour dynamics, and structural barriers shape women\u2019s access to social protection. By combining policy analysis with community-level research, the study seeks to uncover both supply-side and demand-side constraints that limit women\u2019s participation in public safety nets. Ultimately, the project aims to co-develop gender-responsive, care-inclusive social protection pathways that enhance women\u2019s financial security, resilience, and recognition in Nepal\u2019s evolving rural economy<\/p>\n\n\n\n