Pandora is called the first woman in Greek mythology because Hesiod presents her as humanity’s first female figure.
Her creation appears in two works associated with Hesiod: Theogony and Works and Days. In the story, Zeus orders the gods to make her as part of his punishment of humans after Prometheus steals fire. Each deity contributes an attribute, and Pandora is presented as a striking, divinely fashioned woman.
The description belongs to Greek myth, not to a historical account of human origins. Pandora’s story also differs from later religious or scientific explanations of the first woman, so terms such as Eve or the first queen are not interchangeable answers.
The name Pandora is often interpreted as “all-gifted” or “all-giving,” reflecting the many gifts placed upon her by the gods. The myth therefore combines a creation story, a divine punishment narrative, and an explanation for the presence of suffering in human life.