Judges put value on housework

STAY-AT-HOME MOM: HUBBY TOLD TO PAY UP IN DIVORCE Social media furore as new civil code is put to test in court.

Beijing

AChinese man has been ordered to pay his exwife almost $8 000 (about R116 500) for years of unpaid housework, in a landmark divorce case that has sparked furious debate in China.

Under the country’s new civil code, which came into effect this year, divorcing spouses have the right, for the first time, to request compensation if they bore more responsibilities at home.

Ex-wife Wang told the Beijing court that during five years of marriage, she “looked after the child and managed household chores, while [her husband] Chen did not care about, or participate in, any other household affairs besides going to work”.

She filed a claim for extra compensation for housework and childcare duties, according to a court statement.

The court ruled that Wang had, indeed, taken on more household responsibilities and should receive $7 700, plus sole child custody and an additional 2 000 yuan (about R4 500) in alimony per month.

But after local media reported Wang had appealed – having originally requested 160 000 yuan compensation – the ruling sparked widespread online debate over the value of women’s unpaid domestic labour.

The trending hashtag “stay-athome wife receives 50 000 yuan housework compensation” had gained over 570 million views on the Twitter-like platform Weibo by yesterday.

“Women should never be stay-at-home wives ... when you divorce, you are left with nothing whatsoever. 50 000 yuan in housework compensation is bulls*it,” read one comment.

“A full-time nanny could cost more than this for half a year, are women’s youth and feelings this cheap?” read another.

The amount reflected the length of time they were married and “the effort Wang put into housework, Chen’s income and the local cost of living”, said one of the judges in local media.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has estimated Chinese women spend nearly four hours doing unpaid labour daily – 2½ times that of men and higher than the average.

Divorces have surged over the last two decades in China as divorce laws were liberalised and women became more financially independent.

Are women’s youth and feelings this cheap?