Biography

Mafalda Esteves is a social psychologist and junior researcher at the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra since 2015, currently co-coordinator at the national level of the European project Colourful Childhood: Empowering LGBTIQ children in vulnerable contexts to combat gender-based violence across Europe (2022-2024). She has been a member of European projects such as "INTIMATE: Citizenship, Care and Choice: The Micropolitics of Intimacy in Southern Europe" (2014-2019) (ERC St Grant) and "Diversity and Childhood - Changing social attitudes towards gender diversity in children across Europe" (2019-2021). She is also a PhD student in Psychology at CIS/ISCTE-IUL where she is developing a thesis entitled "Invisible sexualities: intimate citizenship and psychosocial well-being in bisexuality". Master in Psychosocial Investigation and Intervention at the Universitat de Barcelona with a dissertation on Community Action and individual Empowerment from. In Barcelona she developed scientific and professional work in the field of Social and Community Psychology, namely in community projects aimed at promoting social networks to reduce social isolation at a local level and also in psychosocial projects that were using art as a tool for social transformation (Teatro des Oprimides methology). She is a member of Research Group 2 - Democracy, Justice and Human Rights, of the Working Group: GPS-Grupo de pesquisa em Sexualidades and member of the coordination of the SHARP Talks - Sexuality, Health and Human Rights. Her current research interests include critical approaches in Social Psychology, social movements and civic participation, mental health, childhood and youth; sexual and gender diversity across the life course, childhood in vulnerable contexts; LGBTQIA+ activisms, hate speech and sexual and reproductive rights.