CARE International’s Program Strategy 2020 identifies strengthening gender equality and women’s voice as a cross-cutting approach and articulates the right to a life free from violence as an outcome that CARE pursues. Monitoring, mitigating and responding to gender-based violence (GBV) in all CARE programming is mandatory. This means being deliberate about both confronting GBV in sectoral (health, food security, livelihoods, etc.) programming in an integrated way, as well as developing stand-alone innovative interventions and programming to confront and prevent GBV.
CARE understands GBV as a systemic social problem that cross-cuts sectors and perpetuates systems and relationships of domination. It is shaped by patriarchal social norms, unequal relationships, discriminatory laws and unresponsive institutions. CARE seeks, by 2020, to support 12 million women and girls to exercise their right to a life free from violence.