Have you ever heard of the Pink Tax? Most women don’t notice it as they are shopping for female necessities like shampoo, deodorant, razors, cosmetics and even clothes. Pink Tax refers to the price difference that women pay for female products compared to men, which is significantly higher and very sexist. Why should I, and the women of America, pay more for the same products that men buy (excluding tampons and pads)?
(Even for the same constipation purposes!)
What is the reason? Is it because production and marketing companies think women will not notice? Are we paying more for the fruity scents?
Women’s shampoos are at least a dollar more than men’s (48 percent more to be exact).
According to attn.com, in total, the Pink Tax costs women about $1,351 per year and that doesn’t include sanitary pads or tampons. If a woman lives 75 years, her lifetime Pink Tax comes to about $101,325, which is completely absurd. Women of this country could be using that money to pay for an education, a dream vacation, a house, a car, or other family needs.
Most women probably don’t even notice that they are paying this much – some just pick it up from the shelf without even comparing prices. However, American women are catching up to this sexist marketing strategy and we’re really fed up. And it’s not only hygiene products, but clothes too! Women’s clothes cost 8 percent more than men’s overall.
What are we paying more for?
Are we paying for the brand? Are we paying for the material? Or are we paying more for the simple fact that we have vaginas?
Yes, women do technically wear more and possess more clothes than men, like skirts and dresses, but men also have the same basic clothes that women have: shirts, pants, shoes, and underwear. So what’s the deal? Not only are women facing unequal pay in the work force, but Pink Tax as well. How are women expected to pay more for basic needs when they are paid less?
This tax is simply gender price inequality. And I wouldn’t refer to myself as a radical feminist, but I do believe in gender equality within all aspects of life, tax included. People on Earth have the same basic needs, so why can’t we all have the same, equal, and basic price? It’s common sense, really.
So, how do women fix this problem? How can we attain the right to pay equal prices for the same products and needs as men? That is the issue – the fact that I even have to ask these questions – because why do women have to go out of their way to get what they deserve, when men don’t?
The sad thing is that when the women of America do decide to go out of their way to demand equal-priced items, companies will take a long time to reprocess these prices. It could possibly take years for women to see the change that they want now.
We all want to know the reason why women’s items are priced higher by companies. Honestly, it's infuriating and I hope the reason isn’t because we have vaginas.
