Global lockdowns as a result of COVID-19 have resulted in some live-in domestic workers being trapped with their employers. In Spain, a country with the most domestic workers in Europe, the majority of these workers live with their employers – increasing their risk of exploitation.

Isabella and Maria (not their real names) describe in a BBC report the abuse they have had to endure at the hands of their employers. Isabella was allowed just a cup of coffee for dinner and had to constantly refuse her employers’ sexual advances.

Some workers, like Maria, report being imprisoned in their employers’ home. Maria explained, “I could only keep in touch with the outside world on my phone, not able to set foot on the street.”