'I took on my abusive boss and won'

Gloria Kente had been working for the family in South Africa for three years when her employer's boyfriend began hurling racial abuse at her.

Although her life was far from perfect, until that point she made ends meet with the little wage she received and the love she had for her employer's kids.

The abuse started with verbal insults: "fat, lazy" and the "k word" - an offensive and illegal derogatory term used to denigrate black people, rarely spoken out loud in South Africa.

It can be argued that the country's domestic workers form the backbone of the country, keeping the home going and looking after the children.

And yet abuse - and low pay - remains rife across the nation.

There have been barely any cases brought to court since Ms Kente's fight four years ago - possibly because they know speaking out comes at a cost.

After Ms Kente won her case, she couldn't find work. "People feared I would report them," she says.

Luckily, that was when the South African Domestic Services and Allied Workers Union (SADSAWU) stepped in, offering her a job.