Ashwini Kulkarni has been involved with issues related to rural development, especially rural livelihoods. She has worked with a range of stakeholders including villagers, civil society organizations (CSOs) and the government. Ashwini has been associated with Pragati Abhiyan for over a decade, working primarily on MGNREGA. She has also been associated with the national consortium of CSOs working on NREGA, and the Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRAN). Her writings have been featured in English and Marathi media.