Patrícia Melgar Alcantud holds a PhD in Education from the University of Barcelona. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Education, within the area of Social Work and Social Services, at the University of Girona. She is also the Principal Investigator of IGESI, the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Gender and Social Inequalities.
Her main lines of research focus on the preventive socialization of gender-based violence and social interventions aimed at overcoming inequalities. She has participated in numerous competitive research projects in these areas. From 2019 to 2023, she was the Principal Investigator of the R+D+i project SOL.NET: Solidarity Networks with Impact on the Recovery Processes of Women Victims of Gender-Based Violence. She is currently co-directing the R+D+i project “Children Living with Gender Violence: Support Networks that Help Them to Survive (SURV_CHILD).”
She serves on the Editorial Board of the journal Violence Against Women (http://vaw.sagepub.com/).
Her most recent publications include:
Melgar, P., Geis, G., Flecha, R., & Soler, M. (2021). Fear of Retaliation: The Most Frequent Reason for Not Helping Victims of Gender Violence. International and Multidisciplinary Journal of Social Sciences, Online First, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.17583/rimcis.2021.8305
Melgar, P., Campdepadrós-Cullel, R., Fuentes-Pumarola, C., & Mut-Montalvà, E. (2021). ‘I Think I Will Need Help’: A Systematic Review of Who Facilitates the Recovery from Gender-Based Violence and How They Do So. Health Expectations. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13157
Melgar, P., Merodio, G., Duque, E., & Ramis-Salas, M. (2021). “Petites Bonnes”: Minors Sex Trafficked in Morocco and Spain. Children and Youth Services Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105719
Roca, E., Melgar, P., Gairal-Casadó, R., & Pulido, M. (2020). Schools That 'Open Doors' to Prevent Child Abuse During COVID-19 Confinement. Sustainability, 12(11), 4685. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114685
Valls, R., Puigvert, L., Melgar, P., & Garcia, C. (2016). Breaking the Silence at Spanish Universities: Findings from the First Study of Violence Against Women on Campuses in Spain. Violence Against Women, 22(3), 1519–1539. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801215627511
She has completed several research stays at internationally renowned institutions recognized for their contributions to gender studies, including:
Department of Gender and Women's Studies, University of Wisconsin–Madison (2007)
Center for Research on Violence Against Women, University of Kentucky (2013)
International Gender Studies, University of Oxford (2013)
Centre for Research on Families and Relationships, University of Edinburgh (2018).
Patrícia Melgar is also deeply involved in social movements advocating for women's rights, particularly in efforts to overcome male violence. She currently serves as Secretary of the Plataforma Unitària contra les Violències de Gènere.
Her extensive academic career and social commitment were recognized in 2021 when she was awarded the Meninas Prize by the Government Delegation in Catalonia.
Twitter: @PatriciaMelgar