Draft backs women's housework compensation in divorces

Women can request financial compensation for unpaid household chores from their partners in divorces, according to a draft amendment.

The draft amendment to the Women's Rights Protection Law, which was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for first review on Monday, stipulates that husbands and wives should share household responsibilities fairly.

Wives are entitled to seek compensation from their husbands during divorce if they were the primary caregivers for children or elderly parents, or did most of the unpaid housework. The amount of the compensation should be negotiated. If the negotiation fails, they can file a suit to the people's court, the draft amendment said.

The draft regulation is in line with relevant provisions in the Civil Code, and many netizens welcomed it. The code's provision did not specify the gender of the applicant for the compensation.

Courts in China have handled a number of such cases after the Civil Code took effect on Jan 1. In the first such case, a court in Fangshan district of Beijing ruled that a man must pay 50,000 yuan ($7,845) to his ex-wife for housework during their five-year marriage. In another case, a court in Minqing of Fujian province ordered a woman to pay her ex-husband 15,000 yuan for his primary role in taking care of their children.