The Capabilities Approach (CA), developed by Amartya Sen (Nobel Prize in economics), has deeply influenced the new conceptions of human development. Economic growth is not any more seen as an end per se, but becomes a means for the development of the real opportunities of people. Above all, wellbeing cannot be reduced to its economic dimension but has to be considered in its multiple dimensions. The spread of this intellectual movement in Africa and its contribution to the development policies and programs is still limited. It is also nearly absent from population studies and programmes although it represents a tool for structuring analyses, identifying priorities and focusing on inequalities. In particular, it is a powerful framework to link population dynamics to individual behaviour by questioning the reasons why people sharing the same context can vary in their quality of life. The panel aims to pursue preliminary work realized by a few demographers1 to familiarize African demographers with the Capabilities framework, its concepts, its applications, and develop applications in population studies. It will also build bridges with the network of researchers that use and further develop the CA within the Human Development and Capabilities International Association (HDCA).