What happens when an international NGO treats women and girls not only as people affected by crisis, but as the people most capable of leading recovery? That question explains why CARE International is one of the most important NGOs to know in the MENA region.
Key Takeaways
- CARE International is a global humanitarian and development NGO with a strong focus on women and girls.
- In MENA, CARE works in countries such as Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Egypt, and Morocco, with programs connected to protection, livelihoods, education, climate resilience, and gender equality.
- CARE’s work is especially relevant for women’s economic empowerment because it links income, safety, skills, savings groups, small businesses, and community leadership.
- For Bahiyat readers, CARE International is worth following because it works close to the realities that shape women’s lives: displacement, poverty, unpaid care, social norms, safety, and access to opportunity.
Why CARE International Matters In MENA
CARE International has long placed women and girls at the center of its anti-poverty and humanitarian work. That matters in the Middle East and North Africa because many women face overlapping pressures: economic insecurity, care responsibilities, limited mobility, violence, displacement, climate stress, and weak access to services.
In MENA, empowerment cannot be separated from crisis response or local development. A woman refugee in Jordan may need protection services and a pathway to income. A rural woman in Morocco may need skills, market access, and community support. A woman in Yemen may need reproductive health services, cash assistance, and safe access to food and water. CARE’s approach is important because it often combines immediate support with longer-term agency.
How CARE International Supports Women And Girls
Protection And Safety
CARE works with partners to reduce risks of violence against women and girls and improve access to protection services. In countries affected by conflict or displacement, this can include safe spaces, referral pathways, community awareness, and support for local organizations that understand women’s needs on the ground.
Safety is not separate from empowerment. Women cannot fully participate in education, work, entrepreneurship, or leadership if violence, harassment, or fear keep them invisible.
Livelihoods And Economic Independence
CARE supports women’s livelihoods through skills training, small business support, savings groups, cash assistance, and income-generating activities. In Jordan, for example, CARE has supported women and young people with practical skills and opportunities to earn income. In Morocco, CARE works with women on entrepreneurship, green livelihoods, and rural opportunity.
This is one of the strongest links between CARE International and Bahiyat’s mission. Women’s empowerment becomes more concrete when women can earn, save, decide, invest, and contribute to household and community resilience.
Education, Skills, And Girls’ Opportunities
CARE’s work with girls includes education, life skills, digital skills, safe learning spaces, and community dialogue. This is especially relevant in communities where girls face school dropout risks, restricted mobility, early marriage pressure, or limited access to technology.
For MENA countries, girls’ education is not only a school issue. It is a future workforce issue, a leadership issue, and a social mobility issue.
Women’s Leadership And Community Voice
CARE supports women to participate in community decision-making and local leadership. This can happen through women’s groups, local organizations, livelihoods programs, protection networks, and community initiatives. The goal is not only to deliver services to women, but to increase women’s ability to shape the services and decisions that affect them.
In MENA, this kind of community leadership matters because many women are already solving problems informally. Programs that recognize their leadership can turn invisible work into public influence.
Climate Resilience And Green Livelihoods
Climate pressure is becoming more important across MENA, from water scarcity and heat to drought, food insecurity, and disaster risk. CARE’s work in places such as Morocco and Jordan connects climate adaptation with women’s livelihoods, including green business opportunities and sustainable income activities.
This matters because climate change is not gender neutral. Women may have fewer resources to adapt, yet they often manage household food, water, care, and local resilience. Supporting women in climate adaptation strengthens entire communities.
Country Relevance Across The Region
CARE International is especially relevant for readers interested in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Egypt, and Morocco. In Jordan and Lebanon, displacement and refugee protection are central. In Syria and Yemen, conflict and humanitarian needs shape much of the work. In Egypt and Morocco, women’s economic opportunity, education, and local leadership are especially important.
For Saudi Arabia and the UAE, CARE’s work is also relevant as a model for philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, humanitarian partnerships, and regional giving that supports women-led recovery and girls’ futures.
What Makes CARE International Important For Women’s Empowerment
CARE’s strongest contribution is its focus on the practical conditions women need to move from survival to agency. It does not treat empowerment as a single workshop or campaign. It connects safety, income, community support, social norms, local partnerships, and leadership.
This makes CARE International a strong example of how international NGOs can support women in MENA without reducing them to beneficiaries. The best programs listen to women, work with local partners, and build pathways for women and girls to make decisions for themselves.
FAQ About CARE International
What is CARE International?
CARE International is a global humanitarian and development NGO that works to fight poverty, respond to crises, and support social justice, with a strong focus on women and girls.
What does CARE International do in MENA?
CARE works on protection, livelihoods, education, gender equality, climate resilience, humanitarian response, and local partnerships in several MENA countries.
Does CARE International support women entrepreneurs?
Yes. CARE supports women’s economic opportunities through livelihoods programs, savings groups, skills training, small business support, and market-oriented initiatives.
Why is CARE International relevant to women’s empowerment?
CARE is relevant because it connects women’s safety, income, leadership, education, and decision-making power. These are core parts of sustainable empowerment.
Is CARE International active in Morocco and Egypt?
Yes. CARE has country work connected to women’s opportunity, education, economic empowerment, and community development in both Morocco and Egypt.
