Work Experiences of Women Survivors: Insights From the Capabilities Approach

Abstract

The study presented in this article applied the capabilities approach to the experiences of low-income women survivors of gender-based violence, who worked in the formal and informal economies. Nine women were interviewed about their work histories, alternative resource-generating strategies, the advantages and disadvantages of different types of work, and the impact of gender-based violence on their work lives. The authors vetted these experiences through the lens of Nussbaum's 10 human-functioning capabilities and found that 9 of the 10 capabilities were salient in the lives of these women. Implications for social welfare policy and practice with low-income women survivors are offered.