Centering women's well-being: a capability approach-based analysis of rural and urban interviews in alignment with SDG's 3, 4 & 13

This paper has examined women's well-being in Maharashtra through the Capability Approach and its alignment with SDGs 3, 4, and 13. Based on four qualitative interviews from urban Pune and rural Baramati, the study demonstrates that women's development cannot be understood through income, education, or employment alone. Emotional stress, domestic burden, limited mobility, uneven infrastructure, and social norms continue to constrain the conversion of resources into actual well-being. The interviews show both deprivation and resilience. Urban women may appear more advantaged in terms of education and employment, yet they continue to face time pressure, workplace stress, and emotional exhaustion. Rural women experience more severe structural constraints, but they also display strong agency, adaptability, and aspiration. The central conclusion is that development must be judged by what women are actually able to do and be. A capability-oriented approach offers a more humane and accurate framework for policy because it centers freedom, dignity, and lived experience. If development is to be truly sustainable and inclusive, it must address the visible and invisible barriers that shape women's everyday lives.

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