LIFE AS A PRIME MINISTERS WIFE
Apr 25th, 2007 by kendi
The wife of the former prime minister of Greece for almost ten years, Mrs. Margaret Papandreou gave me an insight into her personal life and an opportunity to find out exactly what has kept her going over the years. She’s has been at the fore front, actively campaigning for women’s rights in Greece and ensuring that women are given a voice irrespective of their social standing.
Presently her joy comes from the very many projects she involves herself in. She was born and educated in America. Where she graduated with a college degree in journalism, and masters in public health. At the age of twenty-three she met and struck up friendship with a professor at one of the universities. After a somewhat difficult relationship they married and had four children in succession.
When they finally returned to Greece, she found herself faced with an entirely different culture and way of life. Adjusting to the new environment was not easy, but through body language she began to slowly understand and connect with people. She eventually learnt to speak Greek and communicate fluently.
As time went on, she adapted to her new environment and settled down to raising her children. But this was not for long, as her late husband Andreas Papandreou decided to run for the office of prime minister.
After a long struggle against the dictatorship, Andreas Papandreou, finally became the prime minister, a position he occupied for ten years.
WHAT WAS YOUR ROLE AS THE WIFE OF THE PRIME MINISTER?
As the prime ministers wife I was involved in activities related to women issues. I did not get involved with government matters; I never thought it proper to influence your husband on what kind of people should be put in the cabinet or what the political line should be. These issues can be discussed but ideally not having to press by calling people up.
YOUR HUSBAND WAS ARRESTED, FOR SOME TIME, HOW DID YOU COPE?
When the junta arrested him, it was an extremely difficult period. His friends at the time could not come out to openly be of help to us; in any case most of his political allies were all in prison too. This sort of isolated me from people. I was fortunate though to have both my parents with me at the time, so I got tremendous encouragement and support from them.
When he was finally released we went on exile first to Sweden and later to Canada. During these periods Andreas taught at various universities. On our return to Greece after the fall of the junta, He established a new party called the Pan Hellenic socialist movement or pasok.
WHEN YOU RETURNED TO GREECE WHAT DID YOU FIRST DO?
After we returned from exile, I made up my mind that I was going to build a women’s organization. We did not have an office at the beginning, so we held discussion meetings at tavern, and homes. Progress was gradual.
YOU HAVE BEING ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE CAMPAIGN FOR WOMEN RIGHTS OVER THE YEARS, HOW DID YOU MANAGE THIS, CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF SUCCESS YOU HAVE HAD IN THIS AREA?
I believe in working for a cause that will bring about a social change. Especially, for a cause that I consider a just cause, it’s like working for justice. The rewards are enormous at the end of the day. At our meetings at the grass root level we realized that the men had easier jobs, while the women got the most difficult tasks, and where paid less. When we asked the women why this was so, they always replied that it was because they were men. At that point our aim was to help them realize that that they could fight for equal pay. So, we started by showing and giving examples that a change was necessary.
By simple example you can get people to understand what you saying and get the needed recognition for the cause you are fighting for. The goal was to inform and encourage them of the importance of fighting for equal or a commensurate pay.
Again, we had to deal with a general laid back attitude from the women who did not know how to go about fighting for their rights or even those who believed nothing could be done to change what obtained at the time. We started by getting a group together and having meetings. This is how you first begin to organize a political action.
WHAT ABOUT THE MEN, WERE THEY INFLUENCED?
In the area of teaching and family planning the burden of caring for the child falls on the woman, but the men were implored to be involved in helping the women at home, including in the area of carrying babies, at a particular gathering a man stood up and said look at my hands, how can these hands carry a baby, and the answer was those hands could be very tender towards a baby. It’s just a matter of practice.
It is all about educating people. Information is a powerful tool that always brings about a change. One has to bear in mind that when you talk to people at the grass root level, you talk with them without having to talk down on them. This usually goes a long way in bringing about the required social change.
HOW PRODUCTIVE WAS IT AT THE TIME?
I don’t give all the credit to the women organizations I worked with. There were some external factors involved. They had come to the realization that women were oppressed and doing something to change this was imperative. You make a big change in mentality in order for an action to be successful.
ABORTION IN GREECE IS CONSIDERED A FORM OF BIRTH CONTROL, WHY IS THIS SO?
The strongest objection to abortion comes from the church. Through religion, because they are closer to the people and they understand the repercussions. There was an attitude here that we did not have to fight. Probably because there were so many illegal abortions, the doctors were making a lot of money. The question is why should a doctor get rich on a woman’s body? The truth was women and men did not have the education. Which all boiled down to ignorance, a lack of education on the availability of other mechanical methods like for example the spiral.
GREECE IS KNOWN FOR ITS DIFFICULT STAND IN FULLY ENSURING THAT IMMIGRANTS ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE SOCIAL STRATUM OF THE SOCIETY, WHATS YOUR TAKE ON THIS?
The problem is immigrants do not have the necessary information readily available to them. The bureaucratic system affects them. This is due to the red tape system that operates here. But a change could be brought about, if there is one voice for all immigrants.
I KNOW YOU HAVE THE WELFARE OF THE IMMIGRANTS AT HEART; YOU EXPRESSED THIS WHEN YOU MET WITH SOME OF THE WOMEN RECENTLY, WHAT PROMPTED THIS?
I believe immigrants are a part of the society in which they live in. Trying to exclude them from the social system of a country makes it difficult for them to integrate. Its common to hear people say well I am not prejudiced, I like people of color, well, you like them, but, what are you honestly doing to help them settle and feel at home in a foreign land. Do you invite them out to a taverns, Do you invite their kids for birthday parties, Do you really spend time with them not only to get to know them better but to help them assimilate the system. For me this is integration, when you are free of prejudice that enables you to bring people of what ever race or color together. I want to set an example of what it truly means to say you are free from prejudice.
WHATS YOUR LONG TERM GOAL THEN?
When you get involved with people from other cultures you get to learn about their culture, encompassing music, arts language, food etc. when you are given this opportunity, you are simply enriching yourself as a human being. This is what i looking at.
CURRENTLY, WHERE ARE YOUR POLITICAL ENERGIES FOCUSSED ON?
My political energies are focused on certain things. I am still actively involved with different organizations and causes, two of them include, helping women from Afghanistan and women who are trafficked. Besides I have always liked to work for different causes, I know what my goals are, which are specific. I am excited about all I do. Paramount though is my desire to keep working at making the world a better place. .
ANY REGRETS?
NO, I don’t think so. I hope not, because that will be sad, if you think about it. Maybe I will always regret that I could not do more to make the world a better place.