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Dr Hilary Caldwell

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​Dr. Hilary Caldwell’s research uniquely integrates sociology with lived experience. Her work challenges assumptions and reshapes conversations about gender, sexuality, and power.
 

She brings scholarly rigour by bridging the gap between theory and practice while making complex academic concepts accessible to broader audiences.


Areas of Expertise

 

  • Gender studies & feminist theory

  • Sexual empowerment & gender equality

  • Sex work & feminism

  • Stigma, policy, & social change

  • Translating academic research for public impact

Academic Qualifications
 

  • PhD, University of New South Wales (2018)

  • Master of Applied Science, University of Sydney (2012)

  • Master of Health Science (Sexual Health), University of Sydney (2009)

  • Scarlet Alliance Peer Educator Training (2023)

  • Multiple certificates in health education and training

Academic Positions
 

  • Visiting Fellow, Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW (2018–2020)

  • PhD Candidate, University of New South Wales (2012–2018)
     

Current Focus
 

  • Leading the #SlutToo movement for gender equality and against shame-based narratives

  • Public speaking and advocacy for gender rights and equality

  • Research on the intersection of gender, sexuality, and social justice

  • Writing and publishing on empowerment and social change

Publications

       JOURNAL ARTICLES

  • Stardust, Z., & Caldwell, H. (2023). Archetypal sluts: Payment of sex workers as a condition of consent. In K. Gleeson & Y. Russell (Eds.), New directions in sexual violence scholarship: Law, power and change. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003379331
     

  • Anonymous, Dr. (2021). Still anonymous: Stigma, silencing and sex work in Australia. In S. Crasnow & M. W. Bauer (Eds.), Researchers at risk (pp. 25–45). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53857-6_2
     

  • Caldwell, H., & de Wit, J. (2020). Criminalise women buying sex? Neo-abolitionist influence on Australian politics and media consumers. In Z. Davy, A. C. Santos, C. Bertone, R. Thoreson, & S. E. Wieringa (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of global sexualities (pp. 600–618). SAGE. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529714364.n28
     

  • Caldwell, H., & de Wit, J. (2021). Female clients of male sex workers: Managing stigma. In J. Scott, C. Grov, & V. Minichiello (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of male sex work, culture, and society. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003152835
     

  • Caldwell, H., & de Wit, J. (2018). The characteristics and motivations of women who buy sex in Australia. In S. Dewey, I. Crowhurst, & C. Izugbara (Eds.), Routledge International Handbook of Sex Industry Research (pp. 342–351). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351133913-33
     

  • Caldwell, H., & de Wit, J. (2020). Women’s experiences buying sex in Australia: Egalitarian powermoves. Sexualities, 24(4), 549–573. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460719896972


        THESES

  • Caldwell, H. (2018). Women who buy sex in Australia: From social representations to lived experiences (Doctoral dissertation, University of New South Wales). UNSWorks. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.4/60303
     

  • Caldwell, H. (2012). Long-term clients who access commercial sexual services in Australia (Master’s thesis, University of Sydney). Sydney eScholarship Repository. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/8197

    CONFERENCE PAPERS

  • Caldwell, H., & de Wit, J. (2017, May). From physical sex therapy to entertainment: The motivations of women buying sex in Australia. Paper presented at the 23rd Congress of the World Association for Sexual Health, Prague, Czech Republic.
     

  • Caldwell, H., & de Wit, J. (2016, April). Sex workers describe the market of female clients in Australia. Paper presented at the HHARD Conference CRSH Margins and Belonging, Sydney, Australia.
     

  • Caldwell, H. (2016, March). Women who buy sex. One-hour presentation at the Society of Australian Sexologists, ACT Branch, Canberra, Australia.
     

  • Caldwell, H., & de Wit, J. (2015, July). Australian attitudes about heterosexual power relations when women participate in sex tourism. Paper presented at the 22nd Congress of the World Association for Sexual Health, Singapore.
     

  • Caldwell, H., & de Wit, J. (2015, April). Sex workers speak about their female clients. Oral presentation at the 2nd UNSW Postgraduate Research Symposium, Sydney, Australia.
     

  • Caldwell, H., de Wit, J., Adam, P., & Albury, K. (2014, October). Representations of women who buy sex: A call for scholarly research. Paper presented at the Asia-Oceania Federation of Sexology Conference, Brisbane, Australia.
     

  • Caldwell, H., de Wit, J., Adam, P., & Albury, K. (2014, August). A cultural double standard: Public responses to female sex tourism. Paper presented at the Inaugural Postgraduate Research Symposium, Sydney, Australia.
     

  • Caldwell, H., de Wit, J., Adam, P., & Albury, K. (2014, February). Rhonda: The face of female sex tourism for Australia? Abstract accepted for the 13th Centre for Social Research in Health Conference on HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Related Diseases: Promises and Limitations, Sydney, Australia.
     

  • Caldwell, H., de Wit, J., Adam, P., & Albury, K. (2013, November). Women buying sex: Plenty of social discourses, little empirical data… Paper presented at the UNSW Arts & Social Sciences Postgraduate Conference 2013, Sydney, Australia.
     

  • Caldwell, H., Hossain, S. Z., & de Wit, J. (2012, October). Long-term clients who access commercial sexual services in Australia: Dissociating from stereotypes. Paper presented at the ASSERT National 2012 Conference, Melbourne, Australia.
     

  • Caldwell, H., Hossain, S. Z., & de Wit, J. (2012, April). Long-term clients who access commercial sexual services in Australia. Paper presented at the 12th Social Research Conference on HIV, Hepatitis C and Related Diseases, Sydney, Australia.

​       JOURNAL ARTICLES

  • Stardust, Z., & Caldwell, H. (2023). Archetypal sluts: Payment of sex workers as a condition of consent. In K. Gleeson & Y. Russell (Eds.), New directions in sexual violence scholarship: Law, power and change. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003379331
     

  • Anonymous, Dr. (2021). Still anonymous: Stigma, silencing and sex work in Australia. In S. Crasnow & M. W. Bauer (Eds.), Researchers at risk (pp. 25–45). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53857-6_2
     

  • Caldwell, H., & de Wit, J. (2020). Criminalise women buying sex? Neo-abolitionist influence on Australian politics and media consumers. In Z. Davy, A. C. Santos, C. Bertone, R. Thoreson, & S. E. Wieringa (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of global sexualities (pp. 600–618). SAGE. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529714364.n28
     

  • Caldwell, H., & de Wit, J. (2021). Female clients of male sex workers: Managing stigma. In J. Scott, C. Grov, & V. Minichiello (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of male sex work, culture, and society. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003152835
     

  • Caldwell, H., & de Wit, J. (2018). The characteristics and motivations of women who buy sex in Australia. In S. Dewey, I. Crowhurst, & C. Izugbara (Eds.), Routledge International Handbook of sex industry research (pp. 342–351). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351133913-33
     

  • Caldwell, H., & de Wit, J. (2020). Women’s experiences buying sex in Australia: Egalitarian powermoves. Sexualities, 24(4), 549–573. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460719896972

    THESES
     

  • Caldwell, H. (2018). Women who buy sex in Australia: From social representations to lived experiences (Doctoral dissertation, University of New South Wales). UNSWorks. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.4/60303
     

  • Caldwell, H. (2012). Long-term clients who access commercial sexual services in Australia (Master’s thesis, University of Sydney). Sydney eScholarship Repository. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/8197

    CONFERENCE PAPERS
     

  • Caldwell, H., & de Wit, J. (2017, May). From physical sex therapy to entertainment: The motivations of women buying sex in Australia. Paper presented at the 23rd Congress of the World Association for Sexual Health, Prague, Czech Republic.
     

  • Caldwell, H., & de Wit, J. (2016, April). Sex workers describe the market of female clients in Australia. Paper presented at the HHARD Conference CRSH Margins and Belonging, Sydney, Australia.
     

  • Caldwell, H. (2016, March). Women who buy sex. One-hour presentation at the Society of Australian Sexologists, ACT Branch, Canberra, Australia.

  • Caldwell, H., & de Wit, J. (2015, July). Australian attitudes about heterosexual power relations when women participate in sex tourism. Paper presented at the 22nd Congress of the World Association for Sexual Health, Singapore.
     

  • Caldwell, H., & de Wit, J. (2015, April). Sex workers speak about their female clients. Oral presentation at the 2nd UNSW Postgraduate Research Symposium, Sydney, Australia.
     

  • Caldwell, H., de Wit, J., Adam, P., & Albury, K. (2014, October). Representations of women who buy sex: A call for scholarly research. Paper presented at the Asia-Oceania Federation of Sexology Conference, Brisbane, Australia.
     

  • Caldwell, H., de Wit, J., Adam, P., & Albury, K. (2014, August). A cultural double standard: Public responses to female sex tourism. Paper presented at the Inaugural Postgraduate Research Symposium, Sydney, Australia.
     

  • Caldwell, H., de Wit, J., Adam, P., & Albury, K. (2014, February). Rhonda: The face of female sex tourism for Australia? Abstract accepted for the 13th Centre for Social Research in Health Conference on HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Related Diseases: Promises and Limitations, Sydney, Australia.
     

  • Caldwell, H., de Wit, J., Adam, P., & Albury, K. (2013, November). Women buying sex: Plenty of social discourses, little empirical data… Paper presented at the UNSW Arts & Social Sciences Postgraduate Conference 2013, Sydney, Australia.
     

  • Caldwell, H., Hossain, S. Z., & de Wit, J. (2012, October). Long-term clients who access commercial sexual services in Australia: Dissociating from stereotypes. Paper presented at the ASSERT National 2012 Conference, Melbourne, Australia.
     

  • Caldwell, H., Hossain, S. Z., & de Wit, J. (2012, April). Long-term clients who access commercial sexual services in Australia. Paper presented at the 12th Social Research Conference on HIV, Hepatitis C and Related Diseases, Sydney, Australia.

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