Deborah Carlos-Valencia (born ) sometimes written as Deborah Valencia) is a Filipino social worker,

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

, founder of the Kasapi Union, and co-founder of the

Melissa Network The Melissa Network of Migrant Women in Greece is a Greek not for profit organisation that supports needs of migrant women. It was founded in 2014 by Deborah Carlos-Valencia and Nadina Christopoulo. Organization The Melissa Network is a Gree ...

, an organization that brings together leaders of the established migrant community in Greece.

Personal life

Carlos-Valencia is a Filipino

and community leader who fled the Philippines to Greece during the Marco dictatorship in 1985. Her husband Joe and son followed her to Greece some years later. She was aged 70 in 2019.

Life in Philippines

A trade-unionist and a social worker, Carlos-Valencia had to flee the Philippines after she and her husband became involved in

Workers' resistance against the Marcos dictatorship During the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos, Filipino workers in the labor industry experienced the effects of government corruption, crony capitalism, and cheap labor for foreign transnational industries, One of the objectives of Martial Law was to ...

Life in Greece

After arrival in Greece, Carlos-Valencia co-founded the Melissa Network in Athens in 2014 with Nadina Christopoulo. The organization serves the needs of migrant women in Greece, especially migrant domestic workers in Athens. The organization has since grown to include women from 45 countries. The organization is a based in Victoria Square in central Athens, amidst a community where far-right anti-migrant sentiment is high. Services provided include language lessons and other life skills. In 1986, Carlos-Valencia helped found the Kasapi Union, an organisation supporting solidarity for those affected by Filipion dictator

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...

. In 1998, she organized a worker's solidarity event at Panteion University. She is also helped found the ''DIWATA – The Philippine Women’s Network in Greece''

microcredit :''This article is specific to small loans, often provided in a pooled manner. For direct payments to individuals for specific projects, see Micropatronage. For financial services to the poor, see Microfinance. For small payments, see Micropayme ...

cooperative and was a founding member of BABAYLAN-Philippine Women’s Network in Europe. Six years after her arrival in Greece, in 2020, Carlos-Valencia was one of the 2.9% of Filipinos to obtain Greek citizenship.

References

External links

Melissa Network
official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Carlos-Valencia, Deborah Filipino feminists Filipino emigrants to Greece Filipino women's rights activists Filipino women activists Women founders Organization founders Filipino founders People from Athens Social workers 1940s births Filipino refugees Refugees in Greece Greek trade unionists Filipino trade unionists Filipino trade union leaders Living people