Introduction
CARE’s vision is to seek a world of hope, tolerance and social justice; where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security. CARE puts gender equality in the centre because we know that we cannot overcome poverty and social injustice until all people have equal rights and opportunities. We recognize that power relations between genders and ages are unequal, and that we must challenge patriarchy and promote gender equality to achieve social justice. Through this policy, CARE commits to ensuring that gender equality is fully incorporated in all our work both as a universal human right and an end in itself, as well as a means to overcome poverty and social injustice more effectively. Working with others, CARE seeks to promote equal realization of dignity and human rights for all genders and ages, and the elimination of poverty and injustice. This policy will be implemented in the context of local legal environments.
CARE recognizes that gender is not binary, and that terms and definitions related to gender and sexuality are diverse and continue to evolve. To facilitate ease of reading within this policy we refer to ‘all genders and ages’ throughout. This demonstrates our recognition of and ability to work with adults and children and individuals of all sexual orientations, gender identities and/or gender expressions. We recognize that rigid gender norms limit people of all genders and sexual orientations by creating and reinforcing assumptions and systems of privilege (sometimes codified in laws and policies), about their recognition in society and the range of roles and opportunities open to them. These not only limit individuals who identify as girls, boys, women and men as well as identities beyond the binary, but also individuals whose sexual orientations do not conform with dominant norms and expectations of heterosexuality. While rigid gender norms can limit all of us, CARE also recognizes that gender norms and hierarchies are constructed by people and systemically privilege some groups over others. Throughout this policy when reference is made to all genders and ages this includes (cisgender and transgender) women and girls, men and boys as well as people who identify beyond the binary; and people of all sexual orientations.