Derya has a master's degree in political science and cultural studies and studied in Berlin, Edinburgh and Bogotá. She found her way into feminism through activism for reproductive rights and against sexual harassement in a feminist collective. She has been working as a political educator in the field of antiracism and social justice for many years and is particularly interested in the nexus of economic justice and gender justice. Before joining the Global Unit for Feminism and Gender Democracy, Derya worked as a Senior Programme Officer at Gunda-Werner-Institute, focusing on reproductive justice and bodily autonomy.