CARE International

A global leader within a worldwide movement dedicated to saving lives and ending poverty

CARE International seeks a world of hope, tolerance and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live in dignity and security. CARE works around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice. CARE puts women and girls in the centre because they know that we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities.

Women’s empowerment is key.

CARE International’s experience shows us that when equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help their families and entire communities escape poverty.

• For every year a girl spends in school she raises her family income by up to 20 percent.
• Educated girls grow into educated women, who have healthier babies and are more likely to educate their children.

It’s a simple formula: empowerment is the total sum of changes needed for a woman to realize her full human rights. Empowerment is not just about giving women training or a loan. Empowerment is more than that. It means that relationships and social structures that shape the lives of women and girls must change.

Women’s empowerment can only be achieved when we include men and boys. Men are often those who define and keep women within their boundaries. But when we engage with them they realize that their wives’ empowerment benefits the whole family.

Promoting gender equality and empowering women was one of the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). For CARE, it’s the key to lifting entire families out of poverty – and it defines our programs worldwide.