ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the key tenets of the human capabilities approach and shows how it represents an advance over human rights. It discusses the capabilities in the context of women's movements transnationally. The chapter assesses the different ways in which national states and transnational organizations impede and support the recognition of capabilities. It poses questions about how human capabilities can be secured with some trepidation. The chapter argues that social movements have a critical role to play in determining and realizing capabilities. It also argues that social movements give concrete meaning to capabilities. Martha Nussbaum identifies a key role for the nation-state in realizing capabilities and recognizes the futility of rights and of equality of opportunity when people lack the resources to make meaningful choices. Social movements have assumed a variety of forms, including some which have opposed gender equality and capabilities. However, social justice movements are attuned to the contexts in which universal capabilities can be realized.
