Maria was born in 1775, the daughter of the Muslim slave Roc Sentí Martí, and was baptised with only a mononymic first name.
[2] In 1785, she was made the slave of the physician Joan Gota-redona Tur, who gave her the surname "Meca".
At the beginning of the Trienio Liberal in 1820, the enslaved Ibizan women began campaigning for their freedom, receiving attention from the Spanish press.
[5] On 28 March 1821, the Cortes Generales opened a debate on Maria's case; during the session, she requested that her and her daughter be given police protection.
[5] On 24 November 1824, Ferdinand VII of Spain decreed the release of Maria and her daughter from slavery.