Maria Svolou

Maria Desypri was born around 1892 in Athens to George Desypros and his wife.

She moved with her family to Larissa in her youth when her father was appointed director of a branch of the Greek National Bank.

She was editor of the magazine Woman's Struggle and was exiled from Greece from 1936 to 1940 with her husband by dictator Ioannis Metaxas.

Svolou was a leader of the liberal feminist movement but believed that gender equality could only be attained after fundamental societal change.

She later organised meals with the Red Cross for children during the German occupation of Greece.