Annie Gan would tell her children to use less water and shampoo every time they took a shower. The number of her family's weekend meals outside the home was cut from six to two. All these happened after the global financial crisis that was rippling from the United States.

Annie was a mother of four children and managing director of Singapore-based Jian Huang Construction Co. PTE Ltd.

As the financial crisis engulfed more countries and regions, Annie spent more time surfing the Internet, reading newspapers and watching TV news, updating the information database about the spreading financial crisis.

Like other Asian women of her age, the global financial meltdown sparked the painful memories about the Asian financial crisis, which ravaged the region 11 years ago.

"My company had no business for several months because of the bad economic climate. It put me into a desperate position," Annie said. Her company opened just one year before the Asian financial crisis happened.

Annie's company survived the 1997 crisis thanks to a small construction project, a subway rail of 500 meters long and 25 meters underground.

"In comparison with men, women suffer the same or even more in a financial crisis," said Ng Yen Yen, Malaysia's Minister of Women, Family and Community Development.

She made the remarks at the four-day Second China-ASEAN High- level Women's Forum with the theme of "A Harmonious Environment for Women's Development". The forum was held on the sidelines of the 5th China-ASEAN Expo.

The financial crisis would worsen existing social problems, such as gender inequality and family violence, with women being the main casualties of growing unemployment, said Pham Hoai Giang, presidium member of the Vietnam Women's Union.

The financial crisis also forced many companies to shut down or reduce the number of employees. "Both men and women get laid off during the economic downturn, however, women are usually the first to go," said Pham Hoai Giang.

Nelien Haspels, a senior specialist on gender and women worker issues with the International Labor Organization, echoed Pham Hoai Giang's review.

"Aside from being fired the first, women are more likely to report stress related to the financial crisis because they have to take care of the family as well as work," Nelien Haspels said.

Women in Vietnam, Malaysia and some other ASEAN countries were beginning to feel more financial anxieties -- rising commodity prices and squeezed family earnings. Some found it hard to locate a job when they finally made the decision to work instead of being a full-time wife.

Women had to be creative to weather the financial turmoil, said Nelien Haspels. "One of the effective ways is to practice saving and cut expenditure."

However, the women were optimistic about the future as they believed the governments were making more efforts to help women get through the crisis.

The Malaysian government has taken measures to help women prepare for the negative impacts, said Ng Yen Yen. These included providing training to housewives and encouraging them to get a job.

"The 1997 financial crisis is more devastating than the current one in the region. I have survived a stronger storm and will get over the smaller one," Annie said.

Based on previous experiences, Annie was preparing for the might-coming economic downturn. She chose Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, as the first destination to explore the Chinese market.

"China is a large country and a market with great potentials," she said.

Annie hoped her company would have promising business in China and she was working on it.

(Xinhua News Agency October 26, 2008)