As a lawyer, Tyabji was renowned for being London's only woman barrister and the first to argue a case before the Privy Council.

Her father was Faiz Badruddin Tyabji, a judge, and her mother Salima was a member of the Bombay Legislative Assembly.

She was one of the earliest Muslim women to study at Oxford,[4] arriving in 1937,[5] only two years younger than Velia Abdel-Huda, who is credited as first.

[6] Tyabji wore "brilliant silken saris" while she practiced insurance law in London for 25 years,[2] and hosted a BBC television program, Asian Club, with Shakuntala Shrinagesh, between 1953 and 1956.

[4] WIT continues working for women's economic independence, and runs a nursing home and teacher training school in addition to its original activities.