Despite companies being outed for charging women more for the same products as men, the Pink Tax is still very alive and well. Critics of this phenomenon have also not backed down, but for some reason women are still being handed the short end of the stick. Not only are we making less for the same job, but we are spending hundreds of dollars more than men every year on the same products. According to a senate floor analysis, the pink tax costs women more than $1,300 every year. That money should really be used for our retirement fund, since women do live longer than men.
What products are unfairly priced?
You might be thinking there’s not much you can do to fight against this tax, but in fact, the most simple actions can make a big change. To start, you should know what products & services are priced unfairly based on gender and tell your friends.
-Razors: Schick cartridges for women are priced at $18.49, while Schick cartridges for men are priced at $14.99.
-Lotion: The average price of drugstore body lotion for women is $8.25, while men are at an average of $7.43.
-Deodorant: Out of 20 products women paid an average of 16 cents more than men.
-Shaving Cream: Women also paid 16 cents more than men when it came to shaving cream.
-Dry Cleaning: Men’s shirts cost an average of $2.86, while women pay $4.95 for the same service.
-Toys: The largest price difference in toys was found in helmets, girls toys were priced a shocking 13% higher. My favorite price difference are blocks. A classic bag costs $14.89 while a bag of ‘pink’ blocks is $15.19. They have the same amount of blocks and shapes, but one is pink.
The most infuriating fact about this tax is that it’s not hard to find. It took me about a minute to find a toy on target.com that was priced higher just for being pink. Now when it comes to tampons, we can’t escape the price. We are being taxed because they are considered a “luxury item”, meanwhile, Viagra is seen covered under insurance. Apparently being able to perform sexually is more important than bleeding all over your clothes.
What action is being taken?
So far, only nine states have exempted menstrual products from including a sale tax, while seven are proposing the same legislation. Unfortunately, that does not include California. Supporters of the legislation say that the tampon tax is an obvious example of unfair gender discrimination. You can find anti-tampon tax organizations here.
There are some good news though, Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) proposed a bill early this month to end the tax for good. Currently, 27 of Speier’s colleagues signed The Pink Tax Repeal Act, which will give “state attorneys the authority to take civil action on behalf of consumers wronged by discriminatory practices”. The representative had great timing, she proposed the bill on national Equal Pay Day.
Although 2018 has been the year of women empowerment, there is still a lot of work to be done. Speak to your friends about this, especially your guy friends. Spreading the word is a start and supporting organizations that are helping the cause. Discrimination is intersectional, women are getting shorted in more places than we know, so open your eyes and inform people of what really matters.