Roma (2018)
Roma centres on the story of Cleo, an Indigenous woman who works as a live-in domestic worker for a middle-class family in 1970s Mexico City. Alongside the film’s release, an impact campaign focused on raising awareness and encouraging conversations about the rights and treatment of domestic workers.
Using storytelling to spark social change
Roma centres on the story of Cleo, an Indigenous woman who works as a live-in domestic worker for a middle-class family in 1970s Mexico City. Alongside the film’s release, an impact campaign focused on raising awareness and encouraging conversations about the rights and treatment of domestic workers.

Why is it effective?

  • Raising awareness 

Working with action-led non-profits, the campaign aimed to spark conversations about the treatment and rights of domestic workers, an issue that received significant media attention. 

  • Public and political engagement 

The campaign targeted key audiences including filmgoers, domestic workers, employers and government officials, encouraging discussions around labour rights and protections. 

The Impact

01.

Expanded protections in Mexico
In December 2018, 2.4 million domestic workers gained access to social security following a decision by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation.

02.

The “Roma effect”
In March 2019, Mexico’s representative to the United Nations referred to the “Roma effect”, describing how the film helped strengthen the government’s commitment to gender equality and ratifying ILO Convention 189.

03.

Global policy influence
The film also contributed to wider conversations internationally, including the introduction of a National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in the United States Congress.

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