Recent efforts by women's rights groups to codify payments for homemakers has caused many to wonder if such legislation would actually benefit spouses who give up their careers to look after their families.
On Thursday, the legislature's Justice Committee adopted amendments to family codes stating that husband and wife may negotiate a certain amount of money for the homemaker's disposal.
The money would be in addition to funds needed to support the family, the bill says, adding that spouses may ask the court to intervene when husband and wife fail to agree on a sum.
The legislation, its proponents maintain, aims to recognize the contributions of homemakers and ease their financial predicaments.
But others have their doubts.
Chen Mei-yi (陳美怡), an official at the Ministry of Justice that has opposed the overhaul, has questioned the wisdom of attaching pecuniary value to housework.
"Money is no panacea," Chen said. "It is inappropriate and impractical to set a price for household chores whose definition and workload vary from family to family."
She also questioned the wisdom of government interference in domestic disputes, saying that even the most experienced of judges would likely have difficulty making a ruling in such cases.
PFP lawmaker Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋), whose salary goes directly to his wife's bank account, expressed worries that legislation would encourage strife among spouses.
Chou equated the legislation to telling some homemakers that they should charge their spouses for their work such as cleaning, cooking, babysitting and grocery-shopping, while it could mean sitting around for others.
Saying that a value cannot be placed on housework, Chou said that mandatory allowances would only end up degrading these stay-at-home parents to domestic helpers.
PFP lawmaker Shen Chih-hwei (沈智慧) disagreed.
Shen, the Justice Committee chairwoman, said it is fair for homemakers, both male and female, to collect monetary rewards so they don't have to beg their spouses for money when in need.
To remove obstacles to the legislation, Shen and others acquiesced to cross out the clause imposing punishment on defiant spouses.
Lou Chiung-yu (
Lou, who helped draft the legislation, said that without mandatory penalties, spouses would refuse to abide by the rules.
Noting that some lazy husbands may take advantage of the legislation and refuse to work, she argues that only hardworking homemakers should be awarded the allowance.
Yu Mi-nu (
"The proposed revisions, though far from being perfect, will help prompt spouses to quit treating homemakers as slaves."
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