Deborah Carlos-Valencia

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.

Deborah Carlos-Valencia
Carlos-Valencia in 2015
Born1948 or 1949
Philippines
NationalityGreek
OccupationSocial worker
Years active1984 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
Carlos-Valencia in 2015

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]

References
  1. Malichudis, Stavros (2019-01-14). ""Being a migrant and a woman is like double marginalisation"". Sisters of Europe. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  2. Gutiérrez, Icíar (2017-10-31). "Así es la red de apoyo entre mujeres migrantes y refugiadas en Atenas". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  3. Κακαουνάκη, Μαριάννα. "«Επάγγελμα Φιλιππινέζα» για μια ζωή". www.kathimerini.gr. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  4. Athen, Carolin Philipp. "Selbsthilfe der Abgeschotteten (nd-aktuell.de)". www.nd-aktuell.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  5. "Μαρτυρίες μεταναστών / Άφησαν το δικό τους σπίτι για να φροντίζουν τα δικά μας". Αυγή (in Greek). 2022-12-25. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  6. Gill, Omaira (2017-11-10). "Melissa Network: un lieu d'activité bourdonnante construit par des femmes migrantes". InfoMigrants (in French). Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  7. Silva, Daniela Oliveira, Ana La-Salete (2021-03-08). "O que se faz no mundo pela igualdade de género - JPN". JPN - JornalismoPortoNet (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-02-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. "Deborah Valencia". Humanity in Action. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
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