As a result, the gender gap in unemployment narrowed in the immediate aftermath ofthe crisis through a process of levelling down: more men lost jobs than women. In Asia, women have been much more affected than men by job losses due to their concentration in the export-oriented manufacturing sector, which has been particularly hard hit.108 Moreover, the persistence of high and volatile global food prices following the 2008 price hikes has affected the rights of millions of people to food and to an adequate standard of living. Spending on child benefits, for example, which had peaked in Europe in 2009, fell back to below 2008 levels. Being subjected to violence, for example, is not only a violation of one's dignity and physical and mental well-being but can also lead to homelessness and poverty.