Background
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. Following the death of her father in 1915, the family returned to Athens.
Education
There she studied at the Arsakeion School of Larissa, graduating around 1907.
Career
Maria was one of four daughters and lived for two years in Piraeus. She received a certificate in French Studies in 1916 and a license for teaching French from the Ecclesiastical and Public Education Ministries in 1919. Svolou was active in the women"s movement of Greece from a young age.
As secretary of the League for Women"s Rights she advocated for the creation of night schools for women who worked and fought against prostitution.
She campaigned and wrote on behalf of equality for the women of Greece. She was inspector of labor for the Ministry of Economics and used her position there to draw attention the poor working and housing conditions of impoverished working women.
She returned to Greece in 1940 and volunteered in the Greek-Albanian War as a nurse She later organised meals with the Red Cross for children during World World War II and the German occupation.
Svolou sympathised with the Communists and was exiled again in 1948.
Politics
Svolou was involved in the anti-fascist politics from 1911 to 1936 and supported the peace movement. Following her return she ran for the Parliament as a member of the Greek Leftist Party.
Membership
Svolou joined the resistance movement and was a member of the National Council for a year. She was elected twice and was a member of the party"s Central Committee.