A LASTING memorial to social pioneer Mary Barbour was unveiled yesterday on International Women’s Day.

Born in Renfrewshire village Kilbarchan, Barbour led the 1915 rent strikes that saw tenants stand up to exploitative landlords and succeeded in changing the law.

Yesterday a statue to Barbour, who later became Glasgow’s first woman bailie, was unveiled in the community where her radical action began. The rent strikes began in Govan before sweeping the city, with her supporters dubbed Barbour’s Army.

Local schoolchildren clutching banners and serving politicians were amongst the crowds at the statue’s launch, which follows years of campaigning and fundraising by the Remember Mary Barbour Association. Its chair Maria Fyfe said: “We hope the legacy of the statue will re-connect the people of Govan with the tremendous social history and heritage and be a beacon of inspiration for women everywhere.”

Alison Watson, deputy director of housing charity Shelter Scotland, commented: “Mary Barbour is a hero to many and completely deserves this accolade. She inspired a community and ultimately a prime minister to take the action she and her followers wanted to stave-off crippling rent increases on tenants in wartime Glasgow.

“I hope this statue helps to keep the story of her achievements alive and acts as an inspiration to future generations to take action against housing injustice in their communities.”

The reveal happened as events took place around the world to call for reproductive rights, political change and an end to violence against women.

In Spain, women held a 24-hour strike at home and in the workplace to highlight the inequalities and discrimination they face. Events took place in around 200 locations, with public transport reduced to a limited service and air travel affected.

Meanwhile, French newspaper Liberation took a stand against the gender pay gap by charging male readers an additional 50 cents per copy. In Afghanistan, hundreds of women gathered in capital city Kabul to push for greater access to education and stronger protection from male violence.

Similar calls were made in India, where crowds including students, teachers and sex workers marched through the capital towards parliament to draw attention to domestic abuse and sex attacks.

Prime minister Narendra Modi said “several women” have left “an indelible mark” in history.

In Ireland, Health Minister Simon Harris confirmed the government has finalised the wording for an upcoming referendum on abortion.

However, in Ivory Coast labour laws were updated to exclude women from all work that exceeds their “ability and physical capacity” or that is “likely to undermine their morality”. This includes roles in mining.

Back in Scotland, the organisers of the inaugural European Golf Team Championships, which will be held at Gleneagles this August, announced men and women will compete alongside each other for equal prize money.

Sixteen pairs will compete in both the women’s and men’s team events at Gleneagles on August 8-12 before combining for an 18-hole foursomes stroke play mixed team championship.

The tournament is part of the Glasgow 2018 European Championships, which will also include aquatics, cycling, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon events.

Sports minister Aileen Campbell said: “Scotland, the Home of Golf, is no stranger to innovation when it comes to golf, so it is fitting that history will once again be made with men and women competing side by side in the European Golf Team Championships.”

And in Glasgow, members of the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign marched to the city chambers to demand justice over changes to their pensions.

Women affected by the income cut say lack of notice has denied them the right to financially plan for their futures.

Participants danced in George Square to send a message to Westminster, telling the Prime Minister “May, you’ve got to pay”.