Jasmine Rajbhandary is a Senior Social Protection Specialist, who has been in the World Bank for over 15 years. In these years she has led operations which support governments’ in their crisis response, social protection systems strengthening, and strengthening of youth employment systems and services. She has led and been engaged in analytical and technical support to governments on social protection and jobs strategies, apprenticeship and entrepreneurship development, labor force surveys, labor market analysis, migration, social assistance system development, public works programs, cash payments strategies, employment services and support for elderly populations among other areas. While primarily focused on Nepal, she also worked in Bhutan, and India in the past, and now Bangladesh.
Before joining the World Bank, she worked with human rights NGOs, Save the Children, and the UK Department of International Development. Her efforts centered on improving the well-being of vulnerable groups, including children, youth, and women, by promoting their participation, empowerment, and developing ways to measure such progress.
Jasmine was born in Lesotho and grew up in Lesotho, Somalia, Sierra Leone and the United States. She completed her Bachelor’s in Economics and Sociology from Binghamton University in New York and her Master’s in International Development (concentration in gender) from American University in Washington DC.