However, upon her return home in January 2014, with a swollen face and body full of bruises, she had nothing but nine dollars in hand – money that was given to her by her former employer Law Wan-tung, who abused her for eight months.

Pictures of Erwiana's bruises were spread among the migrant worker community on Facebook, resulting in large rallies in Hong Kong. She became an icon in migrant workers' plight for justice, and media around the world followed her every move – something she found unsettling at first.

"I was embarrassed at first, because unlike my neighbors who went home and managed to buy houses and land for their parents, I was rather unsuccessful," she told The Jakarta Post on Saturday, referring to neighbors in her hometown of Ngawi, East Java, a region that sends out thousands of migrant workers annually.

However, things took a turn when she realized that the movement, sparked by her abuse case, could help shed light on issues also faced by other migrant workers, especially those working behind closed doors in domestic settings. She decided to take the case to court, and in 2015, her former employer was sentenced to six years in prison.

"I was lucky to be able to speak out [but] what about those who died in similar cases?" Erwiana said.

Now, at the age of 28, Erwiana has secured a degree after graduating in business management with cum laude honors on a full scholarship from Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta in September last year.

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