Woman awarded $7,700 for five years of housework in China divorce ruling

Case is believed to be the first to set a monetary value on housework since the implementation of a new civil code

A Chinese divorce court has ordered a man to pay his wife the equivalent of US $7,700 as compensation for housework during their five-year marriage.

Under a new civil code that came into effect last month, a person may seek compensation from their partner during a divorce if they were the primary carer for children or elderly parents, or did most of the unpaid household work. The amount should be negotiated, but if that fails then it will be decided by court.