Rechie Valdez

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}

{{use mdy dates|date=December 2021}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = Rechie Valdez

| image = file:Rechie Valdez.png

| caption =

| office = Minister for Women and Gender Equality

| primeminister = Mark Carney

| term_start = May 13, 2025

| term_end =

| predecessor = Marci Ien
(Women and Gender Equality and Youth)

| successor =

| office1 = Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)

| primeminister1 = Mark Carney

| term_start1 = May 13, 2025

| term_end1 =

| predecessor1 = Gerry Ritz
(Minister of State)

| successor2 =

| office3 = Chief Government Whip

| primeminister3 = Mark Carney

| term_start3 = March 14, 2025

| term_end3 = May 13, 2025

| predecessor3 = Mona Fortier

| successor3 = Mark Gerretsen

| office4 = Minister of Small Business

| primeminister4 = Justin Trudeau

| predecessor4 = Mary Ng

| successor4 = Position discontinued

| term_start4 = July 26, 2023

| term_end4 = March 14, 2025

| riding5 = Mississauga—Streetsville

| parliament5 = Canadian

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|MP|size=100%}}

| term_start5 = September 20, 2021

| term_end5 =

| predecessor5 = Gagan Sikand

| successor5 =

| birth_name = Rechie Aileen Salazar

| birth_place = Kitwe, Zambia

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|09|17}}

| nationality = Canadian

| party = Liberal

| alma_mater = University of Windsor

| profession = Politician

| residence = Mississauga, Ontario

}}

Rechie Aileen Valdez (née Salazar, born September 17, 1980){{cite encyclopedia|last=Cabana|first=Ysh|title=Rechie Valdez|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/rechie-valdez|encyclopedia=Canadian Encyclopedia|date=January 25, 2024}}{{cite web|title='I feel a great responsibility': Meet Liberal Rechie Valdez, Canada's first Filipina MP|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/i-feel-a-great-responsibility-meet-liberal-rechie-valdez-canada-s-first-filipina-mp-1.5629014|publisher=CTV News|last=Aiello|first=Rachel|date=October 19, 2021|accessdate=October 20, 2021}} is a Canadian entrepreneur, television personality, and politician, currently serving in the Cabinet of Canada as Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism). She was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 2021 federal election representing Mississauga—Streetsville as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. She is the first Filipino Canadian woman, and second Filipino Canadian after former Manitoba Liberal MP Rey Pagtakhan, to be elected as a Member of Parliament in Canada and Cabinet Minister.