CARE's Poverty & Social Justice Work

CARE's Poverty & Social Justice Work

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Our vision states that “CARE seeks a world of hope, tolerance, and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security.” But what exactly does social justice mean?

Social justice is the idea that all people, everywhere in the world, have the right to a life of dignity. This means a life free from poverty, violence, discrimination or human rights violations.

A world where social justice exists is a world where all people are included in society, and all people can claim their rights to healthcare, shelter and education regardless of how poor or rich they are.


The idea that all people are entitled to human rights is central to a world free from poverty. Poverty is not always caused by a lack of economic resources; it is often a result of discrimination or social injustice that prevents people from accessing tools, resources and education they need to improve their situation.

That’s why social justice is crucial to our mission of fighting poverty. We know that empowering people – especially women – enables them to claim their rights and lift themselves, entire families and whole communities out of poverty.

The principles of social justice are simple. All people are equal. All people deserve the same rights. And all people deserve to be treated with dignity.

Social injustice comes in many forms. It turns up when women suffer from violence at the hands of their partners; when indigenous and other vulnerable groups are excluded from schools or governments; when the world’s poorest people suffer most from the effects of climate change … and the list goes on.

That why we carry out thousands of projects every year to facilitate lasting change by:
