Kenya High Court Judge Says Housewife Full Time Paid Job | Social

Kenya High Court Judge Teresia Matheka has reportedly said being a housewife a full-time job that should attract some form of compensation.

The judge presiding over a matrimonial property dispute said it was unfair for courts to rule that housewives do nothing to contribute to the financial advancement of the family.

The complainant is said to be a divorced woman who was seeking to sell her family’s assets and share the money equally between herself and her ex-husband.

The judge said housewives should not say they are not working as they provide home services which are otherwise contracted out and paid for. She added that it is unfair to rely solely on perceived income and the mindset that one has to contribute money to marriage to find value.

Mathéka said;

“It is easy for the spouse who works away from home and sends money to claim all of the property purchased and developed with that money by the spouse who stays at home and takes care of the children and the family. . This spouse will be heard to say that the other did not have a job and that he therefore did not contribute anything.

“Raising children is a full-time job that families pay one person. Cooking and cleaning too. Therefore, for a working woman who has to balance motherhood and education, this contribution must be taken into account. “

The judge also urged her counterparts to take 9 months of pregnancy into account when presiding over matrimonial disputes. She felt that carrying a pregnancy is like working, noting that some couples have recently resorted to surrogate mothers to bear children in their stead.

In rendering judgment on the case before her, Matheka decided that the property be sold and the money be divided equally, or that one of the spouses redeems the other party by paying half of the value of the property to which the party is entitled.