It's 2017. You will find a great amount of people will declare that we live in a country of equality, and sexism is a distant thought of the 50's. This is honestly ignorant. Sexism is usually regarded as a social pastime, but it is currently an economic quandary.
There is a literal cost for being a female. Say hello to the Pink Tax.
It is economically proven by our government that the wage gap exists. Not only are women making 77% of what men make, but we are also paying more for the same products as men. How much more? Over $1300 a year. And no, this isn't a partisan issue. This is U.S. Senate proved. Old Navy/GAP got busted for charging a significant amount ($12-15 more) not only for women's clothing, but for women's plus sized clothing whereas men's clothing was the same at standard and plus sizes. Need more evidence? Lets see the proof:
It's no secret that my Dove deodorant is probably going to cost more than line of men's deodorant. I've spent a good portion of a lifetime paying more for the pink razor than the blue. My shaving cream is going to cost more and it's going to come in obnoxious scents like "elegant rose" and "sweet mango." While I do enjoy the scent of a sweet mango, I don't enjoy that because it is targeted to my gender, it costs more.
Product prices aren't the only things that show women having to pay more. In services, women are once again rolling out the bigger bucks.
I don't know about you, but I have a lot of clothes that have to be dry cleaned. I pay 92% more to get the same amount of dry cleaning done as a man. Yes. 92%. Just in the difference between men's shirts and women's shirts. Not dresses, pantsuits, blazers, or slacks. Just shirts.
Life insurance? Women on average live longer than men, but I don't think that's any excuse for us to pay 13% more on term life insurance.
Yes, my hair is a lot longer than the average man, however, just a woman's hair trim is inflated 57% over a mans. And for basic hair products, we're paying 48% more than a man.
Women are 32% more likely to be granted a subprime mortgage. Women have a lot more trouble being granted loans and credit. According to Money Matters, "Northwestern did a study that had men and women call various repair shops asking about the cost of having a radiator replaced. Women who seemed clueless on the phone were quoted $406 for a job that should cost $365. Men who acted similarly uninformed, were quoted $383."
While these numbers are disturbing, this doesn't include things like makeup which are generally directed towards women. GLAMOUR (with the sharing and elaborating of Buzzfeed) made a video demonstrating this cost.
It gets worse. You know that thing women have every 28 days that we don't like to talk about*? According to the Huffington Post, this is the average cost of a woman's period:
Also, remember that basic period products like tampons and pads, which are needed by HALF of the population, are also taxed. Basic products that women need are not only overpriced, but they are taxed on top of that. This doesn't include costs of pregnancy, bras, OBGYN visits for complications, single motherhood** (80% of single-parent families are matriarchal), and other excess costs a woman may take up beyond the basics.
While I would like to live in a society of pure equality, that is simply not the case. I hope in my lifetime, or at least in my future daughter's lifetime, that the pink tax be a ridiculous vision of the past. So girls, hang in there. We have the power to change the world. And boys, remember that while sometimes you pick up the check, we're paying $18k over our lifetime for a biological component of our bodies that we can't control.
*In Africa, girls are missing up to two months of their educations yearly due to lack of sanitary products for their periods. To help them, check out this site.
**You can also donate money, time, and services to Helping Hands- a group that contributes to single mothers.
BUSTLE has created this article outlining other organizations that support women's rights around the world that you can donate to.
