By Cashmere P. Dimabuyu, staff writer
The pink tax is the practice of discriminatory pricing that inflates the cost of certain products and services marketed to women, while men often pay less for items that are practically the same such as razors, shampoo, and clothing. It even extends to services like dry cleaning and haircuts. An example of the pink tax are two scooters, both the same model and brand. The only difference being the colors: one is red and the other is pink. Because of this, both scooters had distinct prices. The red scooter was priced at $24.99, while the pink scooter cost double the price of the red scooter at $49.99. The pink tax affects a woman's life, from early childhood toys to even canes. Though the pink tax isn’t an official tax, the common practice firmly puts an unnecessary burden on women’s wallets. A DCA study found that 42% of the time, women paid more for their products while men only paid more 18% of the time. Prices for both men and women were only equal about 40% of the time.
The pink tax is just one financial obstacle for women, and not only do they have to pay more than men for certain items, they also tend to earn less than men. This further affects women’s savings rates and social benefits as women take more time off from work to care for children and parents. The pink tax was first brought to light in the 1990s when a report from California's Assembly Office of Research found that 64% of stores in various cities charged more to wash and dry-clean a woman's blouse than a man's button-up shirt.
Some argue that the reason for the pink tax is due to “differences in technology, materials, manufacturing, and promotional factors,” though it’s clear that this isn’t the case by comparing models of a men’s and women’s razors,. The government doesn't receive any additional revenue from the “pink” products, the only beneficiaries of the "pink tax" are the companies who charge extra to women. To avoid the pink tax, make sure to cross-reference the item you’re buying with the male counterpart, and determine if it’s cheaper. It is also beneficial to support companies who take a stand against the pink tax through gender-neutral pricing.
The pink tax is a form of gender discrimination, as it is extremely unfair to women and should no longer be accepted in society. As of now, only two states, New York and California, have made it illegal to have gender-based pricing. Eliminating the pink tax would eliminate one more barrier to a more equal society.
コメント