She was the daughter of José Albertino Freire de Andrade, a primary school teacher, and of Arsenia Maria Mineira.

[1][2] At an early age, Freire de Andrade, who rarely used her husband's surname and was often called simply, Vitória Pais, began to demonstrate support for feminist causes, joining the Liga das Mulheres Republicanas (Republican League of Portuguese Women - LRMP), where she collaborated on the publication of the Liga's magazine, A Mulher e a Criança (The Mother and Child), which was published from April 1909 to May 1911 and later on the newspaper, A Madrugada (The Dawn), which was published by the Liga between 1911 and 1918.

She was also a member of the Association of Feminist Propaganda (APF), and responsible for publishing its newspaper, A Semeadora, from 1915.

In the early 1920s, she joined the Conselho Nacional das Mulheres Portuguesas (National Council of Portuguese Women - CNMP).

In an obituary, Deolinda Lopes Vieira recalled that she had been an "enthusiastic advocate for a modern, scientific and dogma-free education", having a "lucid spirit and open to all ideas of progress and freedom.