Lefkothea Rizopoulou

Born and raised in a conservative Greek province, Lefkothea has always been inquisitive about human rights and social justice. Her ongoing passion is to challenge and break through cycles of repetition and hegemonic frameworks. She moved to Athens, where she completed her BA studies in Social Work. Lefkothea’s embodied experience in anti-racist, solidarity and (trans)feminist movements have influenced her both personally and professionally. Previously, she served as a social worker in shelters for unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors in Greece. Later, she moved to Berlin to complete her Master’s studies in social work and human rights. There she realized her passion for researching, and now she is a PhD Candidate in Social Work at the Fulda Hochschule. A typical day of Lefkothea finds her among books, analyzing data, organizing teaching, participating in assemblies, and listening to music. Her work and political commitment are marked by love and imagination, whether in research, teaching, or organizing with Femmess and beyond.

Her engagement with Humanity in Action led to the founding of the first local feminist collective in her rural border hometown – Femmess. Lefkothea describes Femmess as “a breath of fresh air in a suffocating small-town reality that often feels neither safe nor ideal. It is the song that lets you dream on soft clouds. A tiny, tender community born out of care.” She believes the opportunities and reflection circles she found through Amsterdam Fellowship created a vital space – one that enabled her and Femmess members to transform political imagination into meaningful action. Discover more about her work by reading one of her publications “Disabled children will now be on the street as soon as they turn 18’: reclaiming advocacy, social rights and social work’s visibility in the public debate.” She currently lives between Berlin, Fulda, and Argos Orestiko.

Updated June 2025