Social Protection Policymaking in Nepal

Journal of Social Research & Policy, Volume: 6, Issue: 2, Online First

Date: December 2015

ISSN: 2067-2640 (print), 2068-9861 (electronic)

Abstract: This paper provides insight into the policy processes surrounding the design of Nepal’s first National Social Protection Framework (NSPF) that was initiated in 2009 by the UCPN-Maoists. The paper examines how the policy evolved and a myriad of reasons for why the framework remains in a draft form six years after it was instigated. Nepal’s social inequality is not just a product of a lack of protection, but it is also the result of the way the state functions. Social protection programs will reproduce inequality until the state becomes more inclusive, transparent and accountable. This paper contributes specific information to a limited, but growing body of literature that examines social protection policymaking in fragile and transitioning states.

Keywords: Social Protection Frameworks; Social Protection Policymaking; Fragile States; Nepal.