Leading academic on list of world's top gender policy influencers

Professor Marian Baird, Director of the Women and Work Research Group in the University of Sydney Business School has been named in Apolitical’s second annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy for 2019.

Professor Baird shares the top 100 list with three Australians:

• Julia Gillard, former Prime Minister and chair of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership.
• Libby Lyons, Director, Workplace Gender Equality Agency.
• Jeni Klugman, Fellow, Kennedy School of Government’s Women in Public Policy Program.

All 100 people on the list have been recognised for their pioneering work in gender policy in government, politics, academia, philanthropy, international organisations, NGOs and advocacy.

Commenting on her listing for the second consecutive year, Professor Baird said she was “very honoured to serve as an academic who is able to apply our research to the gender policy world”.

“I'm privileged to be an academic who is able to be active in important policy areas that improve the working lives of women in our region,” Professor Baird said. “I also greatly appreciate the security and support I receive from colleagues and the Business School.”

Professor Baird is Professor of Gender and Employment Relations, Head of the Business School’s Discipline of Work and Organisational Studies and co-director of its Women and Work Research Group.

Professor Baird has long been recognised as one of Australia’s leading researchers in the fields of women, work and family. In 2016 she was awarded an AO (Officer of the Order of Australia) for “outstanding services to improving the quality of women’s working lives and for contributions to tertiary education”.

Established in 2015, Apolitical is a global internet platform that links a network for public servants in more than 120 countries in a way that allows them to share ideas and solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.

Commenting on social media, Apolitical said it was “thrilled to see so many inspiring people from around the world on the list of the 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy for 2019.

“Its time to recognise and celebrate the hard work being done by so many on gender policy,” Apolitical said.

This year’s list was drawn from a record 9,000 nominations.

Featuring prominent politicians, civil servants, academics and activists, the list “both recognises high-profile icons and shines a light on the unsung heroes whose work is indispensable to creating a fairer world for everyone”.

The Dean of the Business School, Professor Greg Whitwell, congratulated Professor Baird on the apolitical listing and commended her devotion to gender equality.

“Professor Baird’s work is making a real difference to the lives of women around the world," Professor Whitwell said.

“It also strongly reflects the Business School’s commitment to gender as well as cultural diversity and inclusion.”