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Anonymous
2022
Even the small things help towards the fight for gender equality.
The Pink Tax
Two shampoo bottles, the exact same ingredients, one is targeted towards men and the other is targeted towards women. What's the difference? The price. The men’s bottle costs $6.49 and the women’s bottle costs $6.81. The average woman spends 42% more on the same products than the average man, which is around $1,351 more annually per woman. This is known as “The Pink Tax;” where products that are marketed towards women cost more compared to similar or even the same products that are marketed towards men. Not only is it discriminatory, but The Pink Tax is something that people need to be more aware of in the hopes of its abolishment. The Pink Tax affects all women and causes a major division when it comes to c are severely marked up.
What is gender equality? According to the Victorian Government, “Gender equality is when people of all genders have equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities.” The fight for gender equality has been a struggle since 1869, when the first women’s suffrage law was passed and it’s still an ongoing issue today. The unfairness and inequality caused by the Pink Tax is disheartening and causes a divide in society. “With the pay gap in the workplace that causes women to do the same, if not more work as men but get paid less.” So, not only are women getting paid less, they are then being forced to spend more money on similar or the same products as men (International Labor Organization). The Pink Tax affects a whole range of different products. What are some of these products?
The Pink Tax includes a controversial topic known as the “Tampon Tax.” Although the Tampon Tax is called something different, it is still considered a part of the Pink Tax. In the United States, women spend close to $2,000 on tampons throughout their lifetime (Huffington Post). On top of the cost for the product, they are also taxed. “At least 28 states still have the menstrual-related taxes in the books,” (19th News). This issue is especially discriminating because there are so many health related products that are exempt from sales taxes. So why are tampons and other menstrual related products that are a necessity for women taxed?
Personal care products are heavily affected by the Pink Tax as well. An example of this is the average price of something as simple as deodorant, “Women's deodorant is listed at about $6, while men's deodorant is listed at $5” (Insider). These price differentials also occur quite frequently when it comes to hair care products: shampoo, conditioner, and even razors. Products with the same or similar ingredients are priced differently solely off of the consumer it’s advertised for. The Pink Tax affects the daily lives of women of all ages.
Not only are adult women affected by the Pink Tax, but children are affected by it as well. Studies showed that many major retailers who sold products like; clothing, toys and even electronics in a range of different colors cost a significantly greater amount if the product was the color pink or was marketed towards girls. The statistics of these studies resulted in the conclusion that the difference in price between the pink and other colored products ranged from 2 to 15 percent. This is a huge profit for companies that can take advantage of their targeted audience. This gender based price gap unfortunately begins at only 12 months and affects women throughout their entire lives.
The Pink Tax is something that women have to face every day and it strengthens the divide between genders through marking up the prices of many products. The Pink Tax more specifically affects equality, menstrual products, personal care products, and children's toys that have women as their target consumers. This issue needs to be addressed and made more aware in order to demolish the divide between genders.
Works Cited
"Now's the time to talk about the 'pink tax'." USA Today, 6 Mar. 2017, p. 06A. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A484381410/OVIC?u=scschools&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=35a71eb4. Accessed 27 Apr. 2022
"'Pink tax' angers women from New York to London." CNN Wire, 3 Feb. 2016. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A442170705/OVIC?u=scschools&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=2e1d2adc. Accessed 27 Apr. 2022.
"Why women pay more than men for the same stuff." CNN Wire, 7 Mar. 2016. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A445463296/OVIC?u=scschools&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=68ffd1ce. Accessed 27 Apr. 2022.
Melanie Lockert. (2022, March 8). The influence of 'The pink tax' is about more than just higher prices. here's how it works and how it affects women's finances. Business Insider. Retrieved May 24, 2022, from
https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/pink-tax
Rodriguez, B. (2021, July 6). Three states have killed the 'tampon tax,' but advocates want more. The 19th. Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://19thnews.org/2021/07/two-states-have-killed-the-tampon-tax-but-advocates-want-more/#:~:text=But%20at%20least%2028%20states,to%20do%2C%E2%80%9D%20she%20said.
Women work more, but are still paid less. Women Work More, But are Still Paid Less. (1995, August 25). Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_008091/lang--en/index.htm
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