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About
Dr. Kaitlynn Mendes is a distinguished feminist scholar and Canada Research Chair in Inequality and Gender at Western University. With a robust academic and professional background rooted in journalism, media, and gender studies, Dr. Mendes has dedicated her career to exploring and challenging issues related to sexual violence, sexism, and the pervasive effects of digital technology on gender-based harm.
Dr. Mendes is widely recognized for her pioneering research on how digital technologies have been used both to combat and perpetuate sexism and rape culture. She has extensively studied movements like #MeToo, examining their impact in challenging misogyny in digital spaces. More recently, her work has evolved to focus on the darker side of digital media—investigating how technologies can be used to facilitate sexual violence, such as through deepfakes, cyberflashing, image-based sexual abuse, and cyberstalking.
She is the Principal Investigator of the DIY: Digital Safety project (www.diydigitalsafety.ca), which provides critical resources and tools to combat digital gender-based violence. Additionally, she leads the GEMS (Gender, Equity, Media, and Society) Research Lab (www.gemslab.ca), a hub for innovative and socially engaged research aimed at creating equitable digital and media environments.
Committed to public engagement, Dr. Mendes frequently collaborates with policymakers, charities, NGOs, and schools to translate her academic research into accessible resources, training modules, and policy recommendations. Her insights have informed international think tanks and governments, and she is a sought-after public speaker and media commentator, particularly on issues surrounding parenting and youth social media use.
Internationally respected, Dr. Mendes played a leading role in coordinating an outstanding submission to the UK’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) and offers her expertise as a REF consultant to UK institutions. Her academic journey has included faculty positions at the University of Leicester, De Montfort University, and the University of Nottingham, with teaching and research spanning feminist media studies, journalism, cultural studies, and gender and communication.
Her educational background includes a PhD in Journalism Studies from Cardiff University, where she researched media portrayals of the second-wave feminist movement, and a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University.
Dr. Mendes also offers policy consultation services, particularly in reviewing and updating institutional responses to sexual harassment and violence, ensuring they reflect the complexities of digital harms. She has been instrumental in revising student training programs at universities and charities across Canada.
With over 500 professional connections and a strong social media presence, Dr. Mendes remains a leader in advocating for safer, more inclusive digital environments and continues to inspire both academic and public audiences with her impactful research and advocacy.
Skills & Expertise
Gender Studies
Public Speaking
Media Engagement
Training Development
Knowledge Mobilization
Social Media Analysis
Online Activism
Digital Safety and Literacy
Technology-Facilitated Violence
cyberflashing
deepfakes
image-based abuse
Research Interests
Gender inequality
Social media
Sexual violence
Sex
Young people
Feminist activism
Deepfakes
Online harms
Mixed methods research
Technology-facilitated sexual violence
feminist
challenge sexism
sexual violence
rape culture
online abuse
harassment
Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence
Digital Feminist Activism
Algorithms
Gendered Harm
Parenting in a Digital Age
Media
Gender
Connect With Me
Experience
Professor of Sociology
- Professor of Sociology Professor of Sociology Permanent Full-timePermanent Full-time Jul 2024 - Present · 10 mosJul 2024 to Present · 10 mos Associate Professor Of Sociology Associate Professor Of Sociology Full-time
Publications (1)
In this issue, we complete the two part series on representations of sex workers. While
the previous issue explored the representations of sex workers in the news media, this issue
includes articles...
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