I like being a woman, it has its downfalls sometimes and it has its perks. I, however, shouldn’t be paying more just because I have a vagina. I didn’t ask to have periods, to shave my legs, or to have fancy scented deodorant.

Women pay more for everything, from personal care to clothing. If you're asking yourself why women are paying more for these everyday items it's simple— it's called the "Pink Tax." However, the pink tax is not really a tax, so much as an increase in price for items marketed toward women. That’s right ladies, you are being charged about 42 percent more for an item just because it is marketed toward our gender. You may have noticed this in the health and beauty aisle–the biggest offenders tend to be personal hygiene products like razors, shampoo, and soap. Women spend $1,351 per year more than men all because of the pink tax. California banned pricing products based on gender in 1996. California was the first and only state to do this, so far.

Consumer Reports did some research in 2010 and found that products in a drugstore, like deodorant or shampoo, cost more if they were marketed to women. They asked the manufacturers why and almost across the board, the companies said it was more expensive to manufacture products for women. Why? Aren't these the same things? “They are completely different formulations,” said one spokesperson of two antiperspirants with the exact same percentages of the exact same ingredients. Representatives of the offending companies also cited differences in packaging and foaming action (which women apparently requested) as reasons for disparate pricing. Ridiculous.

There is proof of this. In December 2015, there was a report done by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, which set out to compare men and women's product prices. After comparing nearly 800 products from more than 90 brands sold both online and in stores in New York, they found that women would pay more in 42 percent of the cases. Female razors are 11% more expensive than men's. Jeans cost 10% more. Even toys marketed to little girls are 11% pricier, just because they are pink. So, generally women are paid less, but we pay more for these products.

So what can we women do about it? Well if you don't want to buy the men's products, buy the cheaper items. Otherwise, get that blue razor, men's shampoo, and men's deodorant (if the differing scents do not bother you). Purchasing items meant for women is submitting to the unfair taxation of products targeting a specific audience. It is outright ridiculous and insulting that women are expected to buy gendered products while men can buy normal, average products. The biggest impact we can have is not allowing ourselves to be taken advantage of in this way.