The women behind Netflix drama María la Caprichosa (Defying Destiny)
In early 2026, Netflix released María la Caprichosa (Defying Destiny), a new drama exploring the life of domestic workers’ advocate and union leader, Perxides María Roa Borja.
María’s powerful leadership has helped to establish legal protections for domestic workers in hashtag#Colombia, who face labour rights violations, as well as long, expensive and dangerous journeys just to reach the homes of their employers. The series has been in the Netflix Top 10 shows in 17 countries, including Argentina, México, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Perú, Venezuela and Spain.
Valentina Montoya Robledo has been studying these women’s commuting experiences for over 10 years and first met María when she was a doctoral student. Valentina’s invitation to María to speak at a high-profile conference at Harvard was the first time María had spoken outside Colombia, and this event is featured in the drama.
🤝Valentina, María, and UTRASD (the union for Afro-Colombian domestic workers led by María and others) continue to work together today on the transmedia project and the documentary Invisible that Valentina directs, and on research on domestic workers’ access to Care Blocks in Bogotá and the impact of the strenuous commutes on their children.
👁️🗨️Read Valentina's new article discussing the women behind Maria la Caprichosa here:
