Capabilities Approach

 

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Poverty is the inability to acquire the basic requirements of like food, clothing, shelter, etc. According to the Capability Approach given by Sen, poverty is the deprivation of an individual’s capability to achieve his full potential. It’s not just the absence of money, rather, it’s the presence of helplessness, voicelessness and powerlessness. Thus, GDP seldom equates to prosperity. Understanding that social poverty exacerbates material poverty, organizations like Poverty Stoplight have come forward to support families in eradicating poverty. Burt, in his book ‘Who Owns Poverty?’, introduces an approach that puts poor families in charge of defining and diagnosing their own unique, multidimensional poverty. 

According to Robeyns, a Capabilities scholar, Capabilities Approach, an anthropocentric approach, is “focused on what people can do and be and on what they are actually achieving in terms of being and doing.” For instance, a Buddhist monk and a farmer living in deprivation are at different positions because while one is doing it out of choice, the other is not. Ergo, the conversion of income into capabilities is only possible through awareness and client-centered-therapies, rarely accessible to the poor.

The government addresses issues like education, healthcare, skill development, human rights, vulnerability, access to services, social exclusion, etc, through NRHM, SSA, Skill India, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, PMGAY, POCSO, Women’s Commission, New Education Policy 2020, etc. Payne, in his book ‘Bridges Out of Poverty’, defines poverty as the extent to which an individual does without resources like emotional resources, support systems, trust and integrity, etc, which are denied to women, caste and sexual minorities. 

Caste discrimination is rampant despite numerous constitutional provisions and legislations. In many instances, Dalits above poverty line experience poverty in matters like inability of drawing water from a well or buying land. There’s also stigmatization of alleged ‘bad jobs’. Accordingly, SC/ST Act, 1989 and FRA, 2006 were implemented to protect SC/ST(s) from atrocities and ensure their rights to forest resources. Women’s condition is worse and that of sexual minorities, overlooked. 

Gender inequality and domestic violence is prevalent in India, a patriarchal society, from historical times. In Islamic societies, men have the exclusive right to unilaterally divorce their wives putting women at constant risk of losing their basic capabilities for survival. 

Studies say, sexual minorities are more vulnerable to stress, suicide and becoming homeless. Despite transgenders given the right to change their legal gender, IPC Section 377 scrapped, etc, the society is largely homophobic with obloquy against live-in couples. 

PIL to render IPC gender-neutral should be filed. Company trips for bureaucrats and parenting jobs should be organized at local levels. Fixed salary and working-time for health workers and slut-shaming should be prohibited. Thus, one should walk alongside the poor, cultivating their gifts and talents.