Board Member

Hi, I’m Róisín Webb and I live in Dublin with my family and have 3 children. I was one of the lucky earlier graduates of the EMA in 2003. It was such an amazing and unforgettable year and a very formative experience.

I have practiced as a barrister in areas relating to children’s rights: child protection and youth justice in particular, but also in areas such as disability, mental health, housing, equality and other human rights areas.

I have also worked in various NGOs in legal and policy roles in Ireland, mostly in areas relating to children’s rights. For the past 7 years I have worked as a public servant, first as Head of Policy in the Ombusdman for Children’s Office, then in the Department of Children and the Department of Justice and Equality drafting policy and legislation. I have recently decided to work as an independent legal/policy consultant, specialising in children’s rights.

While much of my work has been in the legal policy space, I love working inter-disciplinarily. This was one of the richest elements of the EMA for me, learning from each other’s disciplines and being open to other ways of thinking, analysing, influencing change etc.

I must admit that I am new to the Alumni and am excited to see what a wonderful community it has evolved into! What inspired me to become a Board member is being back on the Lido for only the second time in 21 years last November, meeting the team at the Monastero and seeing the current students in action. I feel so grateful to have had this experience. I would love to get more involved in this growing community of human rights professionals and activists around the world.

We the 2002/2003 Masteroni are in the process of planning a reunion on the Lido to celebrate 20 years since our graduation. It has taken some time but we nearly have the whole group of this pre-social media-era Masteroni back in touch! There is great energy about being connected again.

I hope that I would build a bridge with some of the earlier EMA graduates and that we could bring some of our experience across 20 years post masters to the Alumni. Not only professionally, but with the challenges of juggling family life, demands of career, all the various pivots you inevitably have to make over 2 decades and more. I think we have so much to learn from each other as a community and the possibilities are endless.

Thank you!

Róisín