Aleka Papariga

Aleka Papariga was born in Athens in 1945. She studied in the Department of History and Archaeology at the School of Philosophy of the University of Athens. She worked for 8 years as an employee in the accounting department of businesses while also giving private lessons. Since 1976, she has been exclusively involved in party and social activities. In 1961, she participated in the Peace Movement and was organized in the student organization of the youth of EDA. She was a member of the office of the youth organization of EDA and later became secretary and member of the Student Office of the Democratic Youth of Lambrakis. In 1968, during the dictatorship of the colonels, she joined the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and was active in the movement for the families of political prisoners. She is one of the founding members of the Federation of Greek Women (OGE). She was mainly involved in the women's movement until 1981, during which time she participated in international conferences of the Women's International Democratic Federation, the United Nations, and others. In 1978, at the 10th Congress of the KKE, she was elected a member of the Central Committee of the party, and in 1986, a member of the Political Bureau. On February 27, 1991, at the 13th Congress of the KKE, she was elected General Secretary of the Central Committee of the party. With her election, which was based on the votes of the so-called "conservatives," she became the first woman to assume the position of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the KKE. In 1993, she was elected for the first time as a Member of Parliament in the B' electoral district of Athens with the KKE ticket. On May 26, 1996, at the 15th Congress of the KKE, she was unanimously re-elected as General Secretary of the Central Committee.