Greek women’s rights pioneer Papandreou dies at 102

Margaret Papandreou, a pioneering advocate for women's rights in Greece and wife of one prime minister and mother of another, passed away on Friday at the age of 102, according to officials. Greek President Constantine Tassoulas praised her for her role in reforming family law, advancing social and political rights, and modernizing women's status in Greek society.

Born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1923 as Margaret Chant, she met Greek socialist politician Andreas Papandreou while he was teaching economics at Harvard University. The couple married in 1951, and her son, George, went on to serve as Greek prime minister from 2009-2011 during the onset of the country's decade-long debt crisis. Affectionately known as Margarita, Papandreou was a founding member of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) and played a crucial role in promoting landmark laws that abolished dowry, legalized abortion, and established civil marriage after her husband's election as Greek prime minister in 1981.

She was also a founding member of the Women’s Union of Greece and served as its chairman for several years. Papandreou's passion for Greece was evident, as she treated public affairs as her own, according to Tassoulas.