The Pink Tax: What’s the Cost of Being a Female Consumer in 2020?

The pink tax is one that only about half of the population is subject to. And they
probably aren’t even aware of it. Are you paying the pink tax?

If you aren’t sure if you’re paying the pink tax, answer a few questions. Are you a
woman? Do you buy women’s products like feminine hygiene items, women’s clothing,
women’s razors, women’s body wash? If you answered “Yes” to any of those questions,
then you are indeed paying the pink tax.

Most of us have probably heard of the wage gap, that men earn more than women.
Typically you’ll see it quoted that women make just $0.79 for every $1 a man makes.
This is true, but it doesn’t tell the whole story.

What Is the Pink Tax?

The pink tax refers to the extra amount of money women pay for specific products or
services. Sometimes you’ll see or hear it referred to as price discrimination or gender-
pricing.

Frequently, especially when it comes to personal care products, there is no difference

between the male version and the female version apart from different prices.

The classic example is those cheap razors for sale in most drug stores. No fancy
moisturizing strip, no rust-free titanium, just a single blade.

The “men’s” version is blue, the “women’s” version is pink. That’s the only difference,
the color. But inevitably, the women’s version is more expensive than the men’s.

But examples abound, and plenty of them cost women a lot more than a few cents in the
drug store.

When Was the Pink Tax Introduced?

Women being charged a higher price for things isn’t new. The sales tax system in the
United States was created decades ago.

Politicians had to decide which products would be subject to a sales tax and which
would be tax-free. But things have changed since these decisions came about, and tax
policies have not changed to reflect the times.

Some things, like women’s clothing, have higher tariffs when imported from abroad
than do men’s clothing.

Manufacturers of consumer goods like those razors claim that the cost of product design
and marketing for women’s products cost more, and they pass those costs down to
female consumers.

Pink Tax Examples

It’s pretty hard to avoid the gender tax when it’s applied to things all of us have to buy
or pay for. Here are just a few things women are paying more for: Clothes, dry cleaning,
self care products and toys.