Kalpana Kannabiran is the recipient of the inaugural Amartya Sen Award for Social Scientists, 2012, for her work in Law. She is a sociologist and legal researcher and is currently Director, Council for Social Development, Hyderabad, an autonomous research institute supported by the Indian Council for Social Science Research. She was awarded the VKRV Rao Prize for Social Science Research in the field of Social Aspects of Law by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) in 2003. She was part of the founding faculty of National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law where she taught sociology and law for a decade (1999–2009) and is a founder member of Asmita Resource Centre for Women where she has coordinated research and legal outreach for women. Kannabiran has been the general secretary of the Indian Association for Women’s Studies (1998–2000) and is active in the International Sociological Association. She was a member of the Expert Group on the Equal Opportunity Commission, Government of India (2007–2008) and member of the Expert Group on Legal Education Reform in Kerala, Government of Kerala. She has been an activist in the women’s movement since the late 1970s.