Second, women are viewed as less deserving of a firm's investment or training because of the traditional expectation that their energies are divided with household work. When a woman is laid off, Somyot said, 'it is harder for her than a male worker to find a new job'. As a result, many Thai women are forced to settle for low-paying, risky jobs. That means they are burdened with both household and outside work at the same time. For some younger women who can't get new jobs, there are reports saying they have entered prostitution,' he said.
Indonesian experts point to other social consequences that women experience during crises.
Not least, the Gadjah Mada University study says, women are more likely to become targets of domestic violence by jobless, frustrated spouses. I think good social welfare can help in reducing the burden felt by female workers in the country. If the government says workers can't be paid more than the conditions under the International Monetary Fund programme, there must be something to help them spend less money in their daily lives,' Somyot observed. This could even include simple welfare assistance such as nurseries that would allow women to spend more time at work, says Somyot.