Women Workers Pay The Price For The Global Economic Crisis New
research by Oxfam International uncovers a hidden aspect of the
global economic crisis – its impact on women. ‘First the company
reduced our pay, then we lost our jobs. They have refused to pay
us severance or other benefits. Since I lost my job sometimes we
eat only once or twice a day. I don’t know what to do, we are
just camping in front of the factory gates, waiting for the
company to pay us.’ Ms Kry Chamnan, Cambodia, February 2009. Ms
Chamnan’s story is not unusual – it is echoed by women in
countries across Asia and Latin America who participated in
Oxfam’s research. Women workers are the backbone of industries
that have been hit hard by the global economic crisis and women
tend to be concentrated in insecure jobs with meagre earnings
and few rights. Oxfam’s research suggests that as supply chains
are squeezed by falling global demand, women in export
manufacturing, garments and services are often first to be laid
off, with employers leavin