We believe that at its root, poverty is caused by unequal power relations that result in inequitable distribution of resources and opportunities between women and men, between power-holders and marginalized communities and between countries.

Poverty cannot be overcome without addressing these underlying power imbalances. CARE contributes to lasting impact at scale in poverty eradication and social justice, in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While all that we do is to support the achievement of ending poverty (SDG 1), gender equality (SDG 5) sits at the heart of our programmatic ambitions and radiates throughout our work. Gender equality is therefore CIZ’s central organizing principle. We cannot achieve economic justice, climate justice, health equity, the right to food, water, and nutrition, or equal access to humanitarian assistance without addressing gender inequality. Our programs also integrate disaster preparedness and risk reduction, humanitarian response, sustainable agriculture, women’s economic empowerment, education, market engagement, microfinance, water, sanitation and hygiene, food security, nutrition and climate change enhancing development in Zimbabwean communities.

In FY21, CIZ worked in 10 districts, in four out of 10 provinces in Zimbabwe, implementing 22 poverty-fighting development and humanitarian aid projects and initiatives to reach 3,5 million people directly.

Our impact areas

CARE International’s six impact areas, drive progress towards our overall goal to end poverty. We focus on these specific impact areas for two reasons. Firstly, because they are critical barriers to poverty reduction, and secondly, because they are areas where CARE has developed world class expertise at all levels of our global network.

Out of CARE International’s six impact areas (Gender equality; Right to food, water and nutrition; Humanitarian response, Right to health; Climate change and adaptation; and Women’s economic justice), CIZ extensively focuses on the following top three to maximize impact:

• Food, water and nutrition (SDG 2, 5 & 6)
• Climate justice (SDG 5, 7 & 13)
• Gender equality (SDG 4 & 5)