Pinky Mashiane

Founder and President, United Domestic Workers of South Africa (UDWOSA)

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I'm the founder and president of the United Domestic Workers Of South Africa (UDWOSA). I represent the interests of domestic workers, the most vulnerable workers in the world and I'm determined to make sure that domestic workers are treated with respect and dignity. My activism and advocacy for domestic workers has changed South Africa’s Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA) which excluded domestic workers until the 19th November 2020.

The landmark case I started with—the case of Maria Mahlangu, a domestic worker who fell into a swimming pool and drowned—singlehandedly brought justice for all domestic workers in South Africa. It led to the Constitutional Court ‘s ruling that domestic workers should be included in COIDA with immediate effect, and the ruling applies retrospectively to 27th April 1994.