ProfessorMarian Baird

Marian's disciplinary background is industrial relations and her research focus is gender and employment, in particular, how regulation and social norms interact to produce different labour market outcomes for women and men.

Marian's research takes a life cycle approach, and her influential research on maternity leave in Australia led to the introduction of Australia's first paid parental leave scheme. Marian has undertaken numerous projects to improve organisational efficiency and equality, funded both by ARC and business grants. Her current research program continues the field of work and family for women and men, with an additional focus on men and parental leave, as well as mature age workers and organisational responses to the shifting demographics of the Australian labour market. This work is being undertaken as part of the Centre of Excellence on Population Ageing Research (CEPAR), of which Marian is a Chief Investigator.

Marian's second area of research is women, work and care in South-East Asia. In 2017 Marian and colleagues edited a ground-breaking book: 'Women, Work and Care in the Asia Pacific', published by Routledge. Her current project, 'Investing in Women', is being undertaken in the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Marian is a publically engaged academic with a goal of delivering high quality research for the social good. To that end, in 2006 Marian established Australia's first multi-disciplinary research group dedicated to integrating research and policy advancement for women at work. The Women, Work and Leadership Research Group is now co-directed with Professor Rae Cooper. The 'Australian Women's Work Futures Project' is a main focus of the WWLRG, and the other main project is 'Women and Desegregation of Labour Markets'.

Marian's research is driven by the principle of demonstrating leadership in equality and justice. Marian has contributed to a number of government advisory boards and reference groups relating to parental leave, discrimination and gender equity in the workplace. Marian's research leads to significant industry engagement and policy influence. In 2014 Marian led the review of women and leadership in the NSW Public Sector. In 2016 Marian led a study to improve access for women to non-traditional careers in Sydney Water. She is currently a member of the Australian Human Rights Commission's reference group on sexual harassment in the workplace survey. Prior to that she was an expert member on the Paid Parental leave Review Steering Committee, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency Implementation Consultation Group and the Australian Human Rights Commission Reference Group for Discrimination in Relation to Pregnancy and Return to Work after Parental Leave. Between 2010 and 2014 she was a member of the Paid Parental Leave Policy evaluation team.\In 2012 Marian was a member of the Review into the Treatment of Women in the Australian Defence Force and in 2011 she was a member of the EOWA Implementation Advisory Group.