ATHENS — Margarita Papandreou died Friday morning at the age of 103. The mother of former Prime Minister George Papandreou died peacefully at her home. She had experienced declining health in recent years.
Margarita Papandreou Chant was born in Oak Park, Illinois, on September 30, 1923. She initially studied journalism and later earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of Minnesota, where she met her future husband, Andreas Papandreou, in 1947. They initially lived in Minnesota and later in California, where Andreas Papandreou was chairman of the Department of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley. They were married in a civil ceremony on August 30, 1951. She was Andreas Papandreou’s second wife from 1951 until 1989.
Andreas and Margarita Papandreou had four children: George, Sofia, Nikos and Andrikos Papandreou.
She settled in Greece in 1961 and experienced firsthand Andreas Papandreou’s political activity, the Center Union’s victory in 1964 and the July Events. Following the imposition of the military junta, Margarita Papandreou worked effectively to secure her husband’s release in December 1967. They subsequently settled first in Stockholm, Sweden, and later in Toronto, Canada.
She returned permanently to Greece with Andreas in 1974 and immediately became active in PASOK, playing an important role in the campaign for women’s rights. She was a leading figure in promoting, drafting and securing the passage of laws that significantly improved the legal and social status of Greek women, including the abolition of the dowry system in 1982, the legalization of abortion in 1986, the introduction of civil marriage in 1982, the legalization of divorce by mutual consent, women’s right to retain their maiden names after marriage, and equal parental rights with their husbands in the custody of their children.
She founded the Greek Women’s Union (EGE) and served as its president for eight years. She was actively involved in women’s issues and peace initiatives. She was also the author of numerous articles and books.
