Beijing – A Chinese man has been ordered to pay his ex-wife nearly $ 8,000 for years of unpaid housework in a major divorce case that has sparked heated debate in China. Under the country’s new civil code, which came into force this year, divorced spouses have the right to claim compensation for the first time if they have multiple responsibilities at home.
Wang’s ex-wife told the Beijing court that during her five-year marriage, she “cared for the child and took care of household chores, while (her husband) Chen did not care and did not participate in other household chores. apart from going to work ”
She filed a claim for additional compensation for household chores and childcare, according to a February 4 court statement.
The court ruled that Wang had indeed taken on more household responsibilities and should receive 50,000 yuan ($ 7,700), plus sole custody of the child and another 2,000 yuan in child support per month.
But after local media reported this week that Wang had appealed – after initially claiming 160,000 yuan in compensation – the ruling sparked widespread online debate over the value of women’s unpaid domestic work.
The hashtag “the wife who stays at home receives 50,000 yuan in compensation for household chores” had won over 570 million views on the Weibo Twitter platform by Wednesday.
“Women should never be husbands at home … when you divorce, you are left with nothing. 50,000 yuan in compensation for housework is nonsense,” said one comment.
“Could a full-time nanny cost more than that for half a year, are women’s youth and feelings so cheap?” read another.
The amount reflects the time the couple got married plus “Wang’s household chores, Chen’s income and the cost of local life,” according to one judge, quoted in local media on Monday.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has estimated that Chinese women spend almost four hours a day working without pay – 2.5 times more than men and more than average.
Marriage separation has increased in China over the past two decades, as divorce laws have been liberalized and women have become more financially independent – to the concern of Beijing, which is trying to increase birth rates in an aging population.