“Le rose est-il une couleur de luxe?,” asked Pascale Boistard, France’s secretary of state for women’s rights, in response to a 2014 petition against gendered products.
It’s a valid question: Is pink a luxury color?
The Pink Tax
The pink tax is nothing new. Since World War II, when companies began targeting women as consumers for products typically sold to men, we have been paying just a little extra for everything. The tax applies to any and all products targeted at females. Women are charged more for over-the-counter pharmacy items, toys, clothing, dry cleaning, and, on average, $16 more than men for haircuts. In fact, a 1994 study concluded that women pay approximately $1,351 more annually for the same services as men. This is outrageous, especially considering that we are already only paid 77 cents to the dollar.
Products
Retailers consistently apply a pink tax to their products, even though they are typically made of the same material for both men and women. These retailers, such as J. Crew, also take advantage of our loyalty. On average, women tend to be more loyal to certain brands than men, making it easy for retailers to hike up the prices. Club Monaco, for example, takes the lead of retailers that apply the biggest pink tax, charging 28.9% more for women’s products. It is closely followed by Urban Outfitters, a company we know loves to overcharge for “vintage” products, which applies a pink tax on 24.6% of its female clothing.
Toys ‘R’ Us is another company, among many other toy retailers, that charges extra simply because a toy is marketed for girls rather than boys. If it’s pink, the price will be marked up anywhere from $1 to $10. Further, women pay more for any over-the-counter purchaces, including hair products and shaving cream. For example, Gilette charges $10.99 for a three pack of black men’s razors, while the same razors in pink with the label “For Women!” goes for $12.49.
The discrepancies between male and female products are noticeable and, ultimately, avoidable. But what about the taxes we pay for a market that is directed specifically at women and for women?
Hot Topic: Tampons
The feminine hygiene market – composed of tampons, sanitary pads, and menstrual-branded medicine – is worth $15 billion. We should be grateful that there is a whole market that caters to woman’s needs, right? Well not if it takes advantage of our naturally occurring bodily functions.
Canada recently became the first country to do away with feminine hygiene taxes, putting pressure on the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia to do the same.
Of the 45 states that apply sales tax, 40 of them tax tampons. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Minnesota are the only states that do not tax feminine hygiene products.
In fact, tampons and other hygiene products are considered “luxury items” by most states. Certain products are deemed “necessities” by the state, making them tax-exempt. These non-luxury items include groceries, medical purchases, agriculture supplies, and occasionally clothing. Tampons are noticeably absent from this list; however, I don’t think any woman would consider her period a “luxury.”
“I have to tell you, I have no idea why states would tax these as luxury items,” said President Obama during an interview with TIME on Friday, January 15. “I suspect it’s because men were making the laws when those taxes were passed.”
He went on to say that the First Lady would agree: it is absurd to tax products that are a hygienic necessity of being a woman.
Further, a 2010 consumer report found that these products can be up to 50% more expensive than other female or gender neutral products. So how much do we pay for Aunt Flo?
Pricing on Periods
The average woman menstruates from the ages of 13 to 51 years old, for 3 to 7 days each week. Therefore, women have around 456 periods over 38 years, meaning that the average woman menstruates for a total 2,280 days of her life. That adds up.
A recent study tallied the amount of money women spend on feminine hygiene items, and all the other products we stock up on during our period, over a lifetime. Between tampons, panty liners, heating pads, acne medication, Advil, chocolate, birth control, and underwear women spend approximately $18,171 in a lifetime. Alone, tampons account for $1,773 of that price.
The numbers from the study are daunting, but they’re just scratching the surface. The study accounted for the most basic needs and purchases at the lowest possible price, opting for generic brands. It doesn’t account for the boxes of tissues, extra junk food, and irrational spending that every woman is guilty of indulging in while on her period.
What’s Our Plan?
Until all pink products are the same price as blue and until basic hygienic products are recognized as a necessity, not a luxury, what can we do to avoid the pink tax?
The first step is to recognize the problem. When shopping, be wary of products that are branded for women. You can often buy the identical product – save the girly pastel colors – for less when you opt for “men’s” items. Stay informed on what brands or retailers take advantage by following or using the hashtag #pinktax and by checking out this Tumblr, which exposes products with a pink tax.
Other options for avoiding the tax is to look for feminine hygiene alternatives, such as a menstrual cup or padded underwear. These options are not only good for your wallet, but also for the environment. Billions of tampons and pads are dumped into landfills and waterways each year, contributing to the ever-growing global environmental crisis.
Menstrual cups are reusable, eco-friendly, sustainable, and cost-effective alternatives to tampons and pads. Menstrual cups, such as the DivaCup, seem expensive at $39.99, but this one purchase saves you $100-150 annually. They are a bit uncomfortable at first and take some getting used to, but in the long run they are beneficial.
THINX is a new product that was created to reimagine the way we deal with our period. It is a pair of moisture-wicking, absorbent, anti-microbial, and leak-resistant underwear specifically for women on their period. That’s right. No tampons, pads, or ruined underwear. Just one pair to get you through the week.
The Big Picture
Although these taxes are a pain, the U.S. and other tampon taxing countries are fortunate. We are fortunate to even have access to an over-priced 24 pack of tampons and Excedrin Complete Menstrual because there are many women that go without. Each year over 100,000,000 girls in developing countries miss a week of school each month for their period. Not only is this a hindrance to their education, but it is also uncomfortable and unsanitary.
Fortunately, companies like THINX are committed to breaking the taboo around periods. For each purchase of THINX, funds are donated AFRIpads, which teaches women to sew and sell reusable pads, and provides affordable, sustainable pads to young women in Uganda.
Foundations like Femme International are dedicated to the empowerment of women via education on menstruation, sexual health, and feminine hygiene. Femme International’s mission is to teach effective menstrual management, which results in “increased rates of school attendance among girls, lower instances of reproductive infection and disease, and reduced engagements in prostitution.”
So while we are fighting to eliminate the pink tax at home, we can take steps to improve feminine hygiene education and product accessibility abroad.