Kerryn Baker

Kerryn Baker is a Research Fellow at the Department of Pacific Affairs, Australian National University (ANU), holding a PhD in Political Science from ANU and a BA(Hons) in International Relations from Victoria University of Wellington. Her work focuses on electoral systems, gender representation, and Pacific Island politics across multiple nations including Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

Research Interests: Dr. Baker specializes in Women's Political Representation, particularly gender quota campaigns documented in her award-winning book Pacific Women in Politics. Her expertise extends to Elections and Electoral Reform in post-colonial contexts and Political Participation dynamics across Oceania. She examines how traditional governance structures interact with democratic institutions.

Publication Trends: Recent work (2023-2025) shows increasing focus on democracy assessment frameworks, Pacific Attitudes Survey data analysis, and gender leadership case studies. Her research combines quantitative survey methods with qualitative analysis of political culture, emphasizing regional specificity over universal democratic models.

Scientific Awards:
• 2021 APSA Carole Pateman Gender and Politics Book Prize for Pacific Women in Politics

Supervision & Grants: Registered to supervise research students at ANU. Leads the Improving Political Inclusion and Participation (IPIP) Program (2025-2027) and co-leads the Village Democracy project across Southeast Asia-Pacific. Previously directed the Pacific Attitudes Survey in Vanuatu/Tuvalu and researched female-dominated legislatures.

Research Infrastructure: Core contributor to the Pacific Attitudes Survey initiative and collaborates with International IDEA on democracy assessment frameworks. Works within ANU's Department of Pacific Affairs research ecosystem focused on regional political dynamics.