It is Expensive to Be a Woman

Across the globe, there are states which hike up the prices of women’s necessities than men. Women’s necessities appear to be more expensive compared to the opposite gender. In some cases, there are products which have the same components and only differ in color yet the price varies according to the gender of the individual who will be using it. Have you ever wondered why? This is due to the Pink Tax or otherwise known as gender based pricing. It is an additional pricing on products made for women’s use. It may appeal as fictitious to most people, but it really exists and is supported by the Pink Tax Repeal Act (H.R. 5686) of the 114th Congress and have been published in Europe, Middle East, Canada, Australia, and other countries affected by the legislation.

According to an article in Forbes written by Tim Worstall, a British economist who majors in Economics and Finance at Adam Smith Institute in London, this controversial upcharge in women’s necessities have been studied by the New York Times and they have found out that pink disposable razors really cost more than blue disposable razors and this also proves true to other hygiene and dental necessities in markets located in different areas in France. This problem also exists outside of France. Consumer Reports in America discovered that drugstores increased the cost for commodities used by females. For instance, Excedrin Complete Menstrual which is used by women is worth 50 cents more than Excedrin Extra Strength which is used by men, despite the fact that both have similar measured constituents. According to the researchers of the University of Central Florida, females are charged more for their stuff compared to men.

What is the real reason behind the appeal of pink tax? The legislation is due to tariffs and commodity discrimination and differentiation. Some taxes are worth more for women’s stuff while others cost more for the opposite sex. Privilege discounts may be considered as a case in point of price discrimination since establishments only allow these discounts to a specified group of people. Commodity differentiation is also considered a reason for this gender based pricing according to Worstall because even if an object has the same component, it still differs at some point, may it be in color, in name or branding, and women would still choose to buy the more expensive stuff simply because they think that it’s not entirely the same although it basically has the same function.

Former President Obama also shared his experience about this so called pink tax when he encountered a situation about dry cleaning wherein his wife’s blouse cost more than his shirt. The worth of things differs in various objects such as toys, clothes, dry cleaning and self-care products. Tampon tax, on the other hand, is not entirely the same with pink tax but is quite related to it. Tampon tax is the added tariff for products used to manage feminine hygiene. These menstrual necessities are hiked with a tariff ranging from 3 to 7 ½ per cent and if you try to find the approximate amount for these things that you’ll be using in a lifetime, it would probably be a huge amount to pay. Activists saw this legislation as something that invalidates “menstrual equity” which disrupts the equal accessibility of women to feminine products that maintain hygiene. Although women’s salaries are just 80% of men’s salary, women’s needs appear to be worth more than the commodities of men considering the fact that men can be expensive too.

What can those individuals affected by the pink tax do about it? Basically, since it is an approved legislation and reforms and propagandists movements regarding this claim have been denied according to the jurisdiction of the 114th Congress, the pink tax is something that they would have to live with unless women would consider buying from the men’s lane since the only difference for some products is its physical appearance. They may also consider trying to love color blue and make it their new favorite color than pink.