China court orders man to pay wife for housework

BEIJING: A Chinese court has ordered a man to pay his former wife 50,000 yuan ($7,700); as compensation for housework she did during their five-year marriage; state media reported Wednesday.

Under a landmark civil code that seeks to better protect the rights of individuals; spouses can seek compensation from their partners in a divorce if they have shouldered more responsibilities – including housework.

According to court records, the man identified by his surname Chen had filed for divorce last year from his wife; surnamed Wang, after getting married in 2015.

She was reluctant to divorce at first; but later requested financial compensation, arguing that Chen had not shouldered any housework or childcare responsibilities for their son.

The woman, who did not work outside the home during the marriage; sought compensation for housework she had done after her husband filed for divorce at a district court in Beijing last year.

The judge ruled in her favor; telling the man to pay 50,000 yuan to his wife for her labor, according to state television.

He must also pay 2,000 yuan a month to support their child, with other assets such as the property may divide equally.

“A nanny’s annual income is already in the tens of thousands of yuan,” said a social media user. “This is too little.”

Unequal gender roles in domestic life have been a topic of public debate in China in recent years amid a rising feminist movement.

The case has generated a huge debate online over the value of domestic work; with some saying the compensation amount was too little.

($1 = 6.4472 Chinese yuan renminbi)