She also set up and heads the Peace and Human Security theme in ActionAid.

[4] She is a member of South Asian Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE).

She used to be a university professor in Gujarat before she quit her job and started working for minority rights.

[4] Zakia has supported the Indian Supreme Court's verdict that Muslim women are entitled to maintenance after divorce under Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

She has spoken out against polygamy among Indian Muslims, saying that was permitted only in a certain context and was not valid in modern times.