HONG KONG – What is the value of household chores, such as washing dishes or vacuuming?
A landmark ruling in China has sparked an intense debate by placing the answer at about $ 4 a day.
In a divorce court in Beijing, a judge ruled earlier this month that a woman should receive 50,000 yuan ($ 7,700) for “domestic labor” following a divorce from her husband.
Chinese state media name the woman Wang and say that in 2015 she met her husband, Mr. Chen, married before divorcing five years later and divorcing thereafter. The couple has one son.
In a first ruling of its kind, Wang was awarded compensation for domestic work under a new civil code, which went into effect in China in January. The code is a cornerstone of President Xi Jinping’s pursuit of reforming the country’s legal system, and seeks to strengthen personal rights.
“Where one spouse is charged with additional duties to raise children, to the elderly to see if the other spouse assists in his / her work, the said spouse is entitled to claim compensation after divorce against the other party, “according to section 1088 of the Civil Code.
Judge Feng Miao of the Volkshof in Fangshan District in Beijing divided the couple’s joint physical property and relied on the Civil Code to rule on ‘intangible property’ arising from the marriage, which includes homework, she said Monday at the state media said.
The judge added that in future the courts must ‘gain experience’ to determine the compensation in such cases.
The case has sparked a heated public debate on social media in China over gender rights and responsibilities.
While many welcome the legal recognition of domestic duties as progressive, others are critical of the amount allocated to Wang, noting the high cost of living in Beijing – stating that the funds are barely the salary of a domestic cleaner or babysitter. in the capital would cover.
A hashtag on the matter has so far garnered more than 570 million views on the Chinese social media platform, Weibo, and about 22,000 discussions.
“There is no clear standard on how much the compensation should be. However, the court made the calculation based on the period of marriage, family income, the standard of living of the community and more,” Yi Yi, divorce lawyer in Beijing, told NBC News . Wednesday.
Yi, director of Beijing Jiali Law Firm, said earlier that the protection under the new civil law had announced a “source” for women working in the home, but despite the ruling, women still carry the biggest burden of household chores. .
“It’s a problem of the unequal gender structure that women have to sacrifice more for the family. I think such a social concept needs to be changed … The family and homework are built by husband and wife, not by one party,” she added. .
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A 2018 study by China’s National Bureau of Statistics on Domestic Work and Gender in Beijing found that the degree of gender inequality in domestic times gradually decreased with the improvement of education and employment opportunities for women. Among older generations, however, it was found that there was still a large degree of inequality in home time, such as cooking and shopping, between men and women.
The treatment of women in China has also been under scrutiny since the global #MeToo movement, with more women speaking out against sexual harassment and discrimination and the need for stronger rights.
For Xu Dongmei, 54, a homemaker from Zhejiang province in eastern China, Wang’s case made her think about her own domestic situation.
Although she said it would be ‘cruel’ not to receive any compensation for a life dedicated to the family, she told NBC News she feels no less for earning no income.
“I made a hard decision for my son. I felt a sense of loss when I lost my independent income,” she said. However, when I add, “when I give love and accompany my son and see him grow up in a happy environment, I feel my worth.”
Reuters contributed to this report
Xin Chen contributed.