THE Glen Road has been renamed in honour of one of the founders of Relatives for Justice (RFJ). A street sign bearing the name ‘Emma Groves Road’ has been erected outside RFJ’s brand new Glen Road base at the suggestion of the Falls Women’s Centre to mark the recent International Women’s Day. The centre celebrates the annual occasion by placing street signs named after influential West Belfast women on local buildings.
Emma Groves (right), who campaigned tirelessly against the use of plastic bullets, died in 2007.
“Relatives for Justice were delighted when Falls Women’s Centre called to tell us that their members wanted to remember Emma Groves as part of International Women’s Day,” said Clara Reilly, RFJ Chair.
“Emma Groves, blinded by a rubber bullet in 1971, was a woman who fought for the human rights and dignity of all those around her. She was and remains a symbol of courage, humanity and hope. Emma was one of RFJ’s founding members and her vision was for an organisation that could address human rights abuses and support those who had suffered them with equality and respect. She opened our premises on the Falls Road in 1999. Our new Glen Road premises, with disabled access and much more space, promises the possibility of realising our dream. We brought Emma’s spirit with us to this new building and this little sign on International Women’s Day is a perfect way to share that with the world.”
