Being a woman is not easy. Many things in life are simply harder for women. Or so it seems at first glance. It’s safe to say that women pay a toll on businessmen for being the fairer sex. It’s called the pink tax. It’s essentially gender discrimination.

The pink tax

The theory that companies sell women products that are more expensive than identical products designed for men. You don’t believe it? Or have you never noticed? Just go to a store and compare two nearly identical products from the same brand. Specifically, shavers. Have you noticed that the pink ones for women are usually more expensive than the blue ones?

Some sources say that products with the same brand and the same basic function have a premium of more than 40% in the women’s version. And if we were to convert larger packages to pieces, the markup is actually even higher. It really is. Women’s products consistently cost more than their male equivalents of the same goods.

Morning routine

Let’s look at daily products. Virtually everyone uses deodorant and shampoo. And these, among other products, are the ones that are noticeably more expensive in the women’s version. And that’s not the most disturbing part. According to research by the House of Commons Library in the UK, gender discrimination starts much earlier.

Has it ever occurred to you that toys sold to girls often cost more compared to similar toys in different colours for boys? And this invisible price hike for girls and women really affects everything from toiletries, to clothes and toys, to services. Being a woman is simply expensive.

━━ ( Source: Julee Juu /  Unsplash+ )

History of the pink tax

The origins of the so-called pink tax date back to 1994, when this marketing strategy was first revealed in a report from California. The study revealed that as a woman, you pay $1,351 annually for women’s products and services. However, the term pink tax understandably did not exist at the time. It came into existence the moment this research resulted in the so-called Women’s Tax Repeal Act, in 1995.

The pink tax is therefore certainly not an official tax that applies in all countries around the world. Nevertheless, it affects practically the whole world. It is widely known in the USA, Canada, France, Britain, India, Argentina, Mexico and China. Nowhere does the government collect this tax and make no profit from it. However, it is a kind of invisible and discriminatory tax for being a woman.

However, countries such as Australia, Canada and India are beginning to realise this problem. New York, California and Florida also have a strong stance against gender-based pricing.Australia has pushed for a national law to abolish the 10% goods and servicestax on personal care products for women. And it may surprise you to know that Kenya pioneered the abolition of VAT on menstrual products in 2004.

How to avoid the pink tax?

Knowing what it is is not enough. It is your moral obligation to recognise the loopholes in the system. So if possible, buy gender neutral or men’s products. Above all, support brands that promote gender-neutral prices. And above all, be aware of price differences and compare prices in different shops.

Don’t be afraid to sign petitions and speak up when you, as a woman, pay more than a man for the same service. And definitely don’t keep this information to yourself. It’s good for as many women as possible to know about it and spread the word. Maybe then manufacturers will wise up and drop their marketing plan that takes advantage of someone being a woman.