Deborah Carlos-Valencia | |
---|---|
Born | 1948 or 1949 Philippines |
Nationality | Greek |
Occupation | Social worker |
Years active | 1984 to present |
Organization(s) |
Kasapi Union, Melissa Network, DIWATA – The Philippine Women’s Network in Greece, BABAYLAN-Philippine Women’s Network in Europe |
Deborah Carlos-Valencia (born 1948 or 1949) sometimes written as Deborah Valencia) is a Filipino social worker, feminist, founder of the Kasapi Union, and co-founder of the Melissa Network, an organization that brings together leaders of the established migrant community in Greece.
Carlos-Valencia is a Filipino feminist and community leader who fled the Philippines to Greece during the Marco dictatorship in 1985. [1] [2] Her husband Joe [3] and son followed her to Greece some years later. [4] She was aged 70 in 2019. [1]
A trade-unionist [3] and a social worker, [2] Carlos-Valencia had to flee the Philippines after she and her husband became involved in Workers' resistance against the Marcos dictatorship. [5]
After arrival in Greece, Carlos-Valencia co-founded the Melissa Network in Athens in 2014 [2] with Nadina Christopoulo. [6] The organization serves the needs of migrant women in Greece, especially migrant domestic workers in Athens. [2] [1] The organization has since grown to include women from 45 countries. [2] [7] The organization is a based in Victoria Square in central Athens, [6] amidst a community where far-right anti-migrant sentiment is high. [2] Services provided include language lessons and other life skills. [6]
In 1986, Carlos-Valencia helped found the Kasapi Union, an organisation supporting solidarity for those affected by Filipion dictator Ferdinand Marcos. [4] In 1998, she organized a worker's solidarity event at Panteion University. [7]
She is also helped found the DIWATA – The Philippine Women’s Network in Greece microcredit cooperative and was a founding member of BABAYLAN-Philippine Women’s Network in Europe. [8]
Six years after her arrival in Greece, in 2020, Carlos-Valencia was one of the 2.9% of Filipinos to obtain Greek citizenship. [5]
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