The ‘right‘ to occupational participation in the presence of chronic poverty

Abstract

The first principle of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists Position Paper on Human Rights (2006) acts as a guide to practitioners. The right of people to flourish through participation in a range of occupations can be threatened by situations which are a consequence of history, adverse socio-political circumstances and a poor economic status. Using rural villages in South Africa as example, some implications of chronic poverty for occupational rights are described. Although various structural forces influence people’s existence and development trajectory, opportunities for human and social development through occupation can nevertheless be identified and harnessed by occupational therapists if their work is undertaken at a structural, community and individual level.