The study aimed to analyze the perception of women in situations of social vulnerability, about their dreams and ways of coping with adversities in their daily lives, trying to see how poverty, according to the concepts of Amartya Sen, interfered in their attitude towards life. It is a qualitative study, conducted in August and September 2007 in Paula Candido, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. We interviewed 110 women (10%) enrolled in the Programa Bolsa Família [Family Grant Program], randomly selected. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed using the thematic analysis technique. It was found that the desire for a "better life" was ultimately, the greatest dream of the women interviewed, the set "education-work-money" the most cited way to achieve a dignified life. However, poor education, informal and precarious employment and poor pay are obstacles to achieving their dreams. Due to such adversity, the attitude of the interviewees ranged from resignation to self-awareness and hopelessness of their situation as a subject in the world, able to dream and believe in the possibility of realizing their aspirations, using their skills and resources to fight for a "better life". It is noteworthy that a policy to fight poverty - as the FGP - should seek the expansion of human capabilities, articulating with structural actions in order to achieve the ultimate goal of the program: the emancipation and social inclusion of the benefited families.
human development; poverty; social inequality; Family Grant Program