GAGE has the following three workstreams in Nepal:

1. GAGE Rupantaran and Kishori programme (completed in 2020):

A qualitative study between 2018-2019, looked at the impact of adolescent programmes: 'Rupantaran'- a life skills programme developed by the Government of Nepal and UNICEF and implemented by World Vision. We looked at the “Rupantarn” programme in Biratnagar, in the eastern part of the country. The qualitative study consisted of a baseline and an endline (with a two year interval) carried out with treatment and control groups of adolescents, parents and key informant interviews with relevant local and national stakeholders. In total 40 adolescents were included. 

2. GAGE AGES (Adolescent girls in the adult entertainment sector- completed in 2020)

GAGE AGES: This was a two-stage qualitative study with the first stage done in 2018 looking at the lives and impact of interventions on adolescent girls who work in the adult entertainment sector in Nepal. A total of 26 FGDs, 2 short group discussions, 37 KIIs, 9 life histories, 1 case study and 20 in-depth interviews were undertaken. Participants included adolescent boys and girls going to school as well as drop-outs; girls and boys working in different sectors of AES as dance bars, clubs, restaurants, dohori, massage parlour, commercial sex workers and so on. Interviews were also taken with parents of adolescents and also local and national key informants who were working in aid for workers in the adult entertainment sectors in Nepal. 

The second study was a follow up study with 45 participants (33 girls and 12 key informants) done during COVID-19 to look at the impact of COVID on the girls. The study was done in collaboration with 3 local NGOs- Rakshya Nepal, Biswas Nepal and Women Workers' Protection Union.

3. RCT - Room to Read Programme

A mixed-method study consisted of a baseline and endline study on the impact of Room to Read- a school- ased life skill and education programme implemented by Room to Read Nepal. The survey featured an RCT with 1,265 baseline samples in year 1 (2017) and a follow-up survey with 1,173 in 2023. The study interviewed girls in the programme, girls in control sites and caregivers and teachers for both groups of girls. The study was conducted in two western hilly districts of Nepal (Nuwakot and Tanahaun). The sites were selected based on a discussion with Room to Read.

Gage is employing a mixed-methods research and impact evaluation design in Nepal. Research is conducted across multiple programmes and geographies, including Nuwakot, Tanahun and Morang districts. The research areas include education and learning, bodily autonomy, integrity and freedom from violence, health, nutrition and sexual and reproductive health, psychosocial well-being, voice and agency and economic empowerment.

In Nepal, young people, particularly adolescents from marginalized communities such as those in rural areas and the Madhesi ethnic group, face significant barriers to education. While primary school enrolment rates have shown improvement, there are persistently low rates of secondary school completion among these groups as well. Programmes are making some changes, but for girls in Rupantaran programme in the study site, early marriage and economic barriers still prevent transition to secondary education.

Discriminatory social norms and economic challenges push girls who migrate to the city for higher education into risky jobs such as in the adult entertainment sector where they are likely to fall into commercial sex work. Once they enter the entertainment sector in Nepal, they are also found to be pushed into international and cross-border migration, dropping out of education and becoming more vulnerable abroad.

Older adolescents, especially boys, often drop out due to factors like teacher humiliation, corporal punishment and dissatisfaction with teaching methods and current programmes do not address these issues.

Economic pressures also contribute, with older boys feeling compelled to contribute to household earnings. In society, boys are expected to transition early into the role of adults to take household-earning responsibilities. Current programmes do not address these issues.

Similarly, older girls frequently face challenges due to unpaid care work and household responsibilities, leading to the discontinuation of their education. The perceived quality of education is a concern among adolescents, who feel that their schooling does not adequately equip them with essential skills for future employment. 

In terms of health and well-being, adolescents, both girls and boys, encounter difficulties related to bodily integrity and access to healthcare services. Gender-based violence also remains prevalent within homes and communities. 

GAGE research suggests the need for increased social protection, awareness campaigns among parents and communities, and policy interventions targeting transitions in education and employment and challenging restrictive gender norms to enhance opportunities for young people in Nepal.