Today, on April 8, 1908, Law 3277 “On Telephonists” was passed, which provided for the entry of women into the public telephone service.

For the first time, in 1888, Neocles Kazazis, director of the post offices and telegraphs, proposed the introduction of a law to allow women to join the telegraph service. However, his initiative did not go ahead as no bill was tabled. Two years later, in 1900,a proposal by MP Elias Potamianos to allow women to join the telephone and post offices was rejected by the majority of MPs, on the grounds that “our morals do not allow it”.

The Law “On Telephonists” also met with considerable disagreement when it was tabled for discussion in Parliament on 21 March 1908. Opposition MPs argued that it would sideline men from work and that confusion between men and women would create scandals, concluding that society was not ready to realize the emancipation of women.

The bill was eventually passed, but it set very strict conditions for women to join the service. The positions of telephone operators could be occupied by single and widowed women aged 21 to 35, who had to be physically fit and have “excellent hearing and a good voice” certified by a doctor's certificate.

Despite the conservative notions reflected in the law, identifying women’s role with the home and motherhood, it was the first and one of the few to refer to women’s work in the public service in the first decades of the 20th century.   

Photos from left:

Female telephonists at Athens Intercity Hall (NYMA), late 1960s - early 1970s, wearing their distinctive uniforms.

Telephonists on duty in the urban and long-distance conference room of the Athens Intercity Hall (YMA), 1960-1970. (photo by Spyros Meletzis)