For Sen, income deprivation, while an important component of poverty, is not a good overall indicator of its many dimensions. These are better captured by the concept of deprivation of capabilities, which refers to a lack of substantive freedoms necessary for achieving the kind of life that people value. To reduce poverty in its many dimensions, it is not sufficient to rely on economic growth and the market mechanism. There needs to be a focus on substantive freedoms and on public provisioning to help achieve them.
Gender equity is the other important component of freedom centred development.
This is desirable not only because it is constitutive of development per se but also because of its significant social benefits such as the significant reductions in child mortality and fertility rates. Sen is good at pointing the way for a rethinking of development issues but his framework and categories are so general there is no zeroing in on systematic processes that have worked to undermine the substantive freedoms and survival entitlements of many. More analysis is required when it comes to formulating development policies in the context of globalization of trade and investment, especially if they are to be people, environment and freedom friendly.