Kaitlynn Mendes, PhD, is a Lecturer in Media and Communications at the University of Leicester. Before joining the University of Leicester, she lectured at both De Montfort University and Nottingham University. Kaitlynn is an expert on feminism, activism and gender issues in the media, and has published in journals such as Feminist Media Studies; Media, Culture and Society; and the Journal of Gender Studies.

Kaitlynn is also the author/editor of three books, Feminism in the News: Representations of the Women’s Movement Since the 1960s, Feminist Erasures: Challenging Backlash Culture (edited with Kumarini Silva), and SlutWalk: Feminism, Activism and Media, which was recently selected as Book of the Week for the Times Higher Education magazine.

She is also the principal researcher on a grant exploring the ways feminists are using social media to challenge rape culture, sexism and misogyny.

In addition to her academic research, Kaitlynn has appeared on programmes such as the BBC’s Woman’s Hour, numerous BBC Radio Leicester shows, and regularly writes op-eds for publications such as The Conversation and The Leicester Mercury.