Margarita Chant-Papandreou, voice of women’s rights in Greece and wife of a former Greek prime minister, dies at 103

Margarita Chant-Papandreou, known for her commitment to advancing women’s legal and social rights in Greece, died at her home in Athens just days before her 103rd birthday.

Born on September 30, 1923, in Oak Park, Illinois, in the United States, she was the wife of former Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and the mother of Giorgos Papandreou, who would later also lead the Greek government.

President of the Hellenic Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas praised her role in changing the position of women in Greek society.

“Margarita supported and inspired the reform of family law, the transformation of social and political rights, and the improvement of the status of women in Greek society,” Tasoulas said.

In addition to her work for women’s rights, Chant-Papandreou was also involved in the fight against cancer, tuberculosis and polio. “She loved Greece deeply. She was the wife of a prime minister and the mother of a prime minister, but above all, she was a devoted citizen,” the Greek president said.

As part of the feminist movement, she led the Union of Greek Women and contributed to drafting legal initiatives that brought significant changes to women’s rights.

During the 1980s, key reforms included the abolition of the dowry system and the introduction of civil marriage in 1982. Legislative changes also granted women equal rights to child custody after divorce.

Chant-Papandreou began her academic journey by studying journalism. At the University of Minnesota in 1947, she met Andreas Papandreou, who would become her husband. The couple settled in Greece in 1961, while she closely followed his involvement in politics.

In 1981, Andreas Papandreou was elected prime minister of Greece at the head of the socialist PASOK party. After the end of the Colonels’ dictatorship in 1974, he became one of the most important figures in Greek politics.