CO-508412 Lao socio-economic situation has grown and the government has opened up for domestic and foreign investment in various sectors suchas mining, hydro power, food processing and services. As a result, there was an increase in employment among enterprises, projects,and private service sectors, which require both domestic and foreign workers. Aligned with the increasing demands for labour forces, increasing in competition in labour markets and the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic, many workers have been affected and have to increase their efforts to recover their livelihoods, to seek secured jobs, access to fair and decent work. For this reason, the government should pay attention to exercising regulations in order to ensure that investor or business operators and workers comply the activities to policies related to employment, which will help reducing issues on labour exploitation, labour dispute, labour rights and protection. Therefore, the government needs to have measures and to promote and protect them. The majority of workers in the Lao PDRare from agricultural background, their knowledge and understanding of laws and regulations is limited, especially the knowledge oflabour management. This could result in  a high risk of being exposed to labour exploitation. Because of that, the policy implementers must have a clear vision and action on social protection work, protecting the rights and interests of workers . Likewise, workers' organizations must increase their efforts to protect the rights and legitimate interests of workers based on the laws and regulations issued by the government. In order to promote social protection work in the society while protecting and managing the rights and interest of the workers under the laws of the Lao PDR, especially the Labour Law, and other related regulations, there is a need to promote social protection for workers, especially women in the agri-food sector which will reduce issues relate to labours and strengthen labour management, strengthening capacity for local and central partners, employers, workers in protecting their rights and interests.
The Advancing Social Protection for Workers in Agri-food sector in the Lao PDR  will strengthen both formal and informal workers who do not have a stable income, work in the agri-food sector that has not yet been formalised according to the labour management plan set by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and the Lao Federation of Trade Unions. Most of the Lao workers currently work in small, medium and informal sectors.  In order to address labour right issues, there is necessity to promote 3 pillars including the implementation of labour rights, social protection, and social dialogue. If there is adequate and appropriate social protection measures, the impact of climate change, economic instability , occupational safety and health which greatly disturb on workerscan be addressed. The effective enforcement of labour laws will promote the workers livelihoods, employers and related government entities will take into account of workers’ opinions through appropriate consultation and negotiation. In particular, women are at risk due to the common practices of gender roles including the gender-based violence, taking family responsibilities, spending long hours on house chores in daily basis, which has posed an additional barrier to women’s empowerment. Consequently, finding a decent joband earning stable income cannot be achieved in the absence of gender equality.