‘It is an incredible honour’
A leading advocate for survivors of sexual abuse, Ballyartella's Maeve Lewis was conferred with an honorary doctorate by University of Limerick last week.
Psychotherapist Maeve has since 2008 been Chief Executive Director of One in Four, a national support service to victims of sexual violence. The service takes its name from research showing that one in every four children will experience sexual abuse before turning 18.
Last week Maeve was conferred in honour of her outstanding contribution to society, along with archaeologist Rose Cleary Rose, from Burncourt, Co Tipperary. The recipients joined 3,500 graduates being conferred at UL over five days as part of the 2023 Autumn Conferring.
“We are delighted to bestow the University’s highest award to two honorary doctorate recipients today – an occasion that always greatly adds to the breadth and calibre of those we are privileged to count among our community,” said Professor Kerstin Mey, president of UL. “We are honouring trailblazing archaeologist Rose Cleary and a leading advocate for survivors of sexual abuse, CEO of One in Four Maeve Lewis, for their outstanding contribution to society.
“We do so to recognise the extraordinary contributions our honorary doctorates have made in their respective fields. Both of our recipients are leaders by example, and we are delighted that Rose and Maeve have both joined our roll of honour here at UL.
“I want to acknowledge their work, their dedication and their achievements in their respective fields and say that we are honoured to welcome you to the University of Limerick family as Dr Rose Cleary and Dr Maeve Lewis.”
Maeve Lewis, an alumnus of UL, who graduated from University of Limerick (then NIHE) in 1979, said: “It is an incredible honour to receive this honorary doctorate – part of me can’t believe that the university is giving me such an honour. It is wonderful to be here with my mum and family and friends here today.”
Asked what advice she would give to students graduating last week, Dr Lewis said: “Graduates today are facing problems that my generation didn’t have to face, in particular climate change, dealing with AI – so what I would say to them is to be brave, be courageous, not to settle for a career but to find something that inspires them, excites them and where they really can make a change.
“I do believe they have the skills and the intelligence and the energy to find solutions to these huge problems that are threatening the human race.”
Maeve is a practising psychotherapist who has dedicated her career to working for and with victims of sexual abuse and trauma. As a human rights advocate, she has worked tirelessly to transform societal attitudes and has implemented programmes of support for victims and survivors across Europe and Africa.
Since 2008, as the CEO of One in Four - the only organisation in Ireland to work with survivors of child sexual abuse and their families - Maeve has led a team of professional psychotherapists and advocacy officers in developing a unique response to child sexual abuse. As part of her work, Maeve also engages with policymakers at all levels and has been deeply influential in shaping recent Irish legislation relating to child protection and criminal justice.
Maeve’s advocacy for some of the most vulnerable members of society extends beyond Ireland, and her contribution to the field of psychotherapy is internationally recognised. Having led on the design and delivery of trauma counsellor training in former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone following humanitarian crises and conflict, Maeve is one of only two Irish people to be an accredited expert witness at the International Criminal Court.