Chinese divorce court orders husband to pay wife for years of housework in first ruling of its kind
- The court ruled that the husband should compensate his wife with a one-off US$7,700 payment for housework she had done over five years
- The case feeds into a larger debate in China about the role of housewives alongside the country’s rising feminist movement
A Chinese divorce court has ordered a husband to pay his wife for the housework she carried out during their five-year marriage in the first ruling of its kind following the introduction of a new marriage law in China.
According to court records, the woman, surnamed Wang, met her husband, surnamed Chen, in 2010. They married in 2015 but started living apart in 2018, with their son living with his mother.
In 2020, Chen filed for divorce at the Fangshan District People’s Court in Beijing. His wife was initially reluctant to agree to a divorce, but later requested a division of property, and financial compensation as Chen had not taken part in housework or childcare responsibilities. She also accused Chen of having an affair.
In granting the divorce, the court awarded Wang their son’s custody and ruled that Chen should pay Wang alimony of 2,000 yuan (US$300) per month and compensate his former wife with a one-off 50,000 yuan (US$7,700) payment for housework she had done over a five-year period.