Barbour was closely associated with the Red Clydeside movement in the early 20th century and especially for her role as the main organiser of the women of Govan who took part in the rent strikes of 1915.

[13] The WPC campaigned throughout June and July 1916 for a negotiated settlement to World War I. Barbour and the others organised this predominately through open air meetings in Glasgow, Clydeside and Edinburgh.

[14] Both the Russian Revolution and the Irish Easter Rising provided a catalyst for renewed peace activism in Scotland, including the work of the WPC.

[19] In 1920, Barbour stood as the Labour candidate for Fairfield ward in Govan, and was elected to Glasgow Town Council, becoming one of the city's first woman councillors.

[22][23][24] It would appear that the misconception about Barbour being the "first Labour woman councillor" originated in Patrick Dollan's book about the Kinning Park Co-operative Society, published in 1923.

[12] Barbour gave a speech at the opening of the clinic in August 1926, in a storefront at 51 Govan Road, which was the first site offering advice on birth control in Scotland.

In Part One, Scene Four William Quinn (Elizabeth's husband) narrates how he, aided by fifty women rent-strikers, and with the assistance of shipyard workers simply walked into the factor's office and asked for it to be returned.

[37] In 2012 the BBC Radio 4 programme Woman's Hour ran a profile about Mary Barbour following the writing of a poem about her by Christine Finn for an exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland.

A review in The List concluded that "Mrs Barbour's Daughters is a concise and moving sketch of the feminist tradition and makes its point using sweet harmony, not rabble rousing.

Mary Barbour was also the inspiration behind the character of Agnes Calder in J David Simons' novel The Liberation of Celia Kahn (Five Leaves 2011, re-printed Saraband 2014).

The "bumper birthday party" as the newspaper styled it, was organised by the Govan Women's Housing Association, of which Barbour was the founder and Honorary President.

Bailie Jack Davis from the City Council not only highlighted Barbour's personal achievements, but told his audience how much she had inspired other women by her leadership.

Public showings of the set of five maquettes were scheduled to take place from November 2015 through February 2016, at various locations commencing at the Pearce Institute in Govan.

[54] Although having secured about £56,000 through public donations, approximately half of the funding needed to build the statue, the RMBA's application to Creative Scotland was rejected in November 2015 based on an apparent lack of community engagement.

[55] In order to meet the shortfall and raise the money to complete the project, the RMBA planned several events including a gala concert to be held in the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow.

The mural, coordinated by Art Pistol, features work by a number of artists including Bob McNamara, who is also known as Rogue One, and Danny McDermott, known as EJEK.

[64][65] The location references a widely known image from the time of a gathering of people outside the tenement property taking part in a rent strike action.

The text of the plaque describes Barbour as a "Social Reformer, Rent Strike Leader, Women's Peace Crusader and Pioneering Woman Councillor", and incorporates a quote from William Gallacher's book 'Revolt on the Clyde'.