Raquel Matos

Raquel Matos is an Associate Professor and researcher at the Research Center for Human Development (CEDH) and Director of the Faculty of Education and Psychology at the Catholic University of Portugal. She holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Minho (2007) and has established herself as a leading researcher in gender, crime, and juvenile justice systems.

Her research interests span across gender studies, criminology, juvenile delinquency, prison studies, migration control, and youth justice systems. Matos has developed significant research projects on women in prison, gender and migration control, and more recently on juvenile delinquency with a focus on young people's life paths and experiences within the justice system. Her work contributes to Sustainable Development Goals related to justice and education.

Matos has coordinated several European projects, most notably the PROMISE Project funded by Horizon 2020, and is currently developing research on gender equality movements' impact on public policies in justice, health, and education sectors in Portugal. Her recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate continued focus on youth justice, gender dynamics in carceral settings, political participation of young people, and mental health integration of refugee children.

• Visiting researcher at University of Bath (2004, 2005)
• Visiting researcher at University of Toronto (2012)
• Visiting researcher at University of Oxford (2013)

Matos actively collaborates with academics from sociology, anthropology, and law, as well as international professionals. She has supervised 65 research works and maintains an active research agenda with projects extending through 2026, including the UCP2 MH Mental Health Promotion System and continued research on gender equality in justice systems.