Deborah Carlos-Valencia
Filipino social worker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
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Melissa Network,
DIWATA – The Philippine Women’s Network in Greece,
BABAYLAN-Philippine Women’s Network in Europe
Deborah Carlos-Valencia | |
|---|---|
Carlos-Valencia in 2015 | |
| Born | 1948 or 1949 (age 77–78) Philippines |
| 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 |
Personal life
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]
Life in Philippines
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]
Life in Greece
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After arrival in Greece, Carlos-Valencia co-founded the Melissa Network in Athens in 2014[2] with Nadina Christopoulou.[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 Filipino 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]