Being a woman isn’t easy. From periods to pregnancies, to so much more, women deal with a lot in their life. What if I told you that on top of all of this when you go to the store to buy a new razor or get your daughter a new bicycle helmet, you are more than likely, if not definitely, paying more than if you were buying the “men’s” version of these items. This is what is called the Pink Tax.
Over the past few years, there has been a tremendous amount of development surrounding the Pink Tax regarding both information and education. Although we’ve seen such strides, there are still countless women -as well as most men- who are unaware of what the Pink Tax is and the effect that it has on women on a monthly, even yearly, basis.
When people say, “the Pink Tax,” they aren’t referring to a literal tax, but rather a system of gender inequality in terms of pricing items. There are countless items that both female children and women, as a whole, attempt to buy that are priced differently than their male counterparts’ simply because of the color or packaging color. The list includes, but is not limited to children’s toys, children’s clothing, adult clothing, Shampoo and Conditioner (Hair Care), Razor Blades/Cartridges, Razors, Deodorant, Body Wash, Shaving Cream, etc. We even see the discrepancy in items such as adult diapers and canes.
To some, the differences may seem minimal and not worth a fight, but these differences can be 30 cents to 5 dollars; it all adds up. To put it into perspective, let’s think of it this way. Research on the pink tax has found that overall, women were paying more than men 42% of the time which equates to about $1,300 more a year in extra costs. If the average woman in the United States lives until about 75 years old, and we see the discrepancies begin for children, we can calculate that to be around $84,500 in a lifetime. That is $84,500 that could be going to pay off student loans, $84,500 that could be set aside for a first house, $84,500 that could be put into a retirement fund. That is $84,500 that is going down the drain simply because it is marketed and sold to/for women.
Women don’t just sit idly by. The issue with the Pink Tax is that many people are unaware of the large effect that it actually has. Company after company attempts to hide this information, and this can be seen through using their power and money to deny any sort of bill(s) being passed against the price differences. In order to combat, or continue to combat, this issue, women as a whole need to educate ourselves and each other. As more and more people know about this discrimination that women face, then the more research we will see being done. A snowball effect will ensure that this Pink Tax will change. Just over the past three years or so, there has been an enormous amount of progress with research and statistics.
Let’s continue this progress as 2020 progresses!
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