After the collapse of the military junta in 1974 and during the period of transition to democracy (Metapolitefsi), new collective subjects emerge in the public policy sphere actively claiming their political visibility. For the first time in Greece - as is the case elsewhere in the western world- young women appear to be determined to explore the overall landscape of power in gender relationships and to struggle for their emancipation. In this context, the political discourses and practices of the feminists acquire a rather radical content. Denouncing male dominance as an underlying condition of all social relationships, the feminists of the time attempt to highlight the political character of gender hierarchies both in the private and public sphere. The slogan "The personal is political" summarises in the best possible way the significance attached to uncovering the social and political aspect of gender relationships.
In the same period, many women opt for participating in movements that denounce discrimination against women, claim gender equality and seek to ensure women’s presence in politics.
In its unprecedented diversity and contradictions, the feminist movement of the Metapolitefsi lasted from 1974 until the end of the 1980s. During that time, the “woman question” was subject to harsh reactions and received a surge of attention from bookstore displays, newspapers, political party and youth meetings, as well as in everyday conversations. The role of women, feminism and gender relationships emerge as issues that both unite and divide.
Meanwhile, the State starts to acknowledge the issue by establishing institutions responsible for gender equality in order to make the relevant interventions. At the same time, it attempts to reduce institutional discrimination against women. The Constitution of 1975 establishes full gender equality for the first time. This constitutional recognition of equality brought about changes to family law, labour law etc. For instance, a legal framework on rape was adopted in 1984, ensuring the right of women to discontinue an unwanted pregnancy, albeit under certain conditions, and making abortions legal.
