Activists to stage 24-hour climate vigil on International Women’s Day

Campaigners will lead a 24-hour “drop-in” vigil for the climate and a rally outside the Scottish Parliament building on International Women’s Day.

Both events are part of the International Day of Women’s Climate Action, which has been organised by Women’s Climate Strike (WCS), an organisation set up to encourage women to “strike up” a conversation or to strike from any kind of work to raise awareness of the climate crisis.

Activists from WCS and other climate groups will begin the day-long vigil outside Holyrood in Edinburgh at 7pm on March 7.

Organisers said the 24-hour period will be maintained by a small group of women, and anyone is allowed to “drop in” and join them.

The rally will then begin on International Women’s Day itself on March 8, with speakers, storytellers and poets, including Scottish Makar Kathleen Jamie, gathering from 2pm.

Speeches will be followed by music from 5pm.

At 7pm, alarm bells will be rung to “raise the alarm” about the climate crisis.

Organisers said: “This event is being organised by cis, intersex, non-binary, and trans women.

“Every person is welcome to join us, recognising that greater gender equity benefits all.”

Sandy Winterbottom, founder of WCA, said: “Women carry the weight of the climate crisis and the burden of waiting for the world to act, not just in the global south but also here in Britain.

“Because more women live below or close to the poverty line, they are now bearing the brunt of fuel poverty.

“This could have been avoided if we had transitioned away from fossil fuels earlier.”