Chinese Court Orders Man To Pay Wife For Domestic Work

Setting a precedent for many, a divorce court in Beijing, China, has ordered a man to pay his wife the monetary worth of housework she did in their five-year marriage, citing it as an ‘intangible property value’. As per the verdict, the woman will now receive a monthly alimony of 2,000 Yuan (an equivalent of ₹22,428) in addition to one-time pay out of 50,000 Yuan (the equivalent of ₹5,60,709).

This is believed to be a first of its kind verdict, after China’s recently-passed law dictating that during divorce proceedings, spouses can seek reparation from their partners if they took on more responsibilities at home. This included household chores in addition to looking after a child or children, as well as senior members of the family.

The couple in question filed for divorce in 2020 after a two-year separation, and have a child that’s currently being looked after by his paternal grandmother. During the negotiations, it was reported that the wife had asked that their property to be equally divided, but sougth financial compensation on the grounds that her soon-to-be ex-husband did not contribute to household chores, or the care of their son.

The judge who issued this landmark verdict termed housework has an “intangible” asset, which “can improve the ability of the other spouse to achieve personal, individual, or academic growth, and this is not reflected in the tangible property.”

Like India, the women in China tend to spend close four hours on a daily basis, engaged in unpaid labour, 2.5 more than men do, according to a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Image used for representational purposes only*