Devaki Jain (born in 1933) graduated in Economics from Oxford University and Joined Delhi University as a Lecturer, later senior fellow at the Delhi School of Economics . In 1976 she founded a research centre the Institute of Social Studies Trust, ISST which focussed on issues of poverty and gender, with special interest in “work”.

In 1984, as Director of ISST she convened a meeting of women from the South, one per continent to consider developing a feminist perspective on development from the South – leading to the founding of DAWN, Development Alternatives for a new Era. DAWN is to day a visible actress in the global stage

She has held Fellowships at various Universities, notably at Harvard and Boston (1984) as a Senior Fulbright Scholar; at Institute of Development Studies , Sussex University as a Visiting Fellow and at the Scandinavian Institute of South Asian Studies in Denmark .

She was one of two women, the other being the Late Bella Abzug, to receive recognition at Beijing 1995, the Bradford Morse award as Founder of DAWN. She received an Honorary Doctorate for her contribution to international development from the University of Westville, Durban Republic of South Africa

Devaki Jain has written extensively on women and development.