Her parents, Nikos Drosos and Kiki Drosou were National Resistance fighters and members of Communist Party of Greece (KKE), of Cephalonian origin.

Papariga started out as an activist in the peace movement in 1961 and soon after joined the pupils' organization of the youth section of the United Democratic Left (EDA).

She joined KKE in 1968, while it was illegal during the Greek junta[1] and was active in the prisoners' families' movement.

After the restoration of democracy, she became a member of the Bureau of the City Committee of the Athens Party Organization (KOA), and was also active in the women's movement.

She married the journalist Thanasis Paparigas, with whom she had a daughter, Vasileia, and another child who died at the age of three.