She was the President of Student’s union during her college days at Miranda House in Delhi. After which she completed masters in History from JNU. She was a professor and a senior fellow. at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), until retiring in 2016.
She is currently chaired as Professor in the Indian Council of Social Science Research. Kishwar along with fellow-academic Ruth Vanita have been regarded as pioneer scholars of women’s studies in India; they were the founder editors of the critically acclaimed journal – Manushi She has been awarded the Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Women Mediaperson in 1985.