In the 1990s, a California survey found that women pay an extra $1,351 dollars per year
due to gender-discriminatory pricing.
Subsequent initiatives like the Gender Tax Repeal Act of 1995 have aimed to eliminate
this discrepancy.
So does it still cost more to be a woman?
Well, a trip to your local drugstore can show you first hand that the “pink tax” still
exists.
In 2015, a male and female reporter from Mic.com teamed up to buy very similar BUT gender-specific
razors, shaving cream, deodorant, moisturizer, and body wash.
The man spent $37.42.
The woman paid $42.69.
That’s a difference of $5 dollars, which overtime obviously can add up.
The same gender-discriminatory pricing towards items like these was also noticed in a 2010
Consumer Report, and a 2011 study by the University of Central Florida.
The latter study suggested that “women do tend to pay more than men for certain types
of services and products, especially those that provide the most visible evidence of
gendering the body”.
And it’s not just at the pharmacy.
Female haircuts at the beauty salon, women’s shirts at the drycleaners, women’s shoes,
women’s car payments, and even women’s health insurance can all be priced significantly
higher than their male counterparts.
In 2012, CNN reported that Florida women could pay an extra $1,141 dollars per year in health
insurance premiums.
In 2014, Obamacare laws banned gender discrimination in health insurance.
Before that time, 42 states allowed women to be charged higher premiums, simply on the
basis of gender.
In 2011, the European Union banned gender discriminate pricing for life and auto insurance.
And in 2014, France’s finance ministry pledged to investigate claims of an “invisible women’s
tax” on certain products like shampoos and razors.
France’s secretary of state of women’s rights supported the investigation, tweeting:
“Is pink a luxury color?”
In Australia, a Goods And Services Tax, which applies to tampon purchases but not condoms,
has been in practice for 15 years.
But presently, there has been a push to scrap the “tampon tax”.
Many consider sanitary napkins to be an “essential health good”, which should be exempt from
the 10% price increase.
While there ARE a few examples of “man taxes” out there, most notably for auto insurance,
women DO seem to more often experience subtly higher prices.
Now, whether these prices are the result of a larger picture of gender inequality in the
world, is up for debate.
But, many reporters have noted that it’s frustrating for women to have this kind of
added “taxation” to their purchases, when they are already paid less than men for similar
work across the globe.
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