Do you feel like everything is more expensive these days? After a trip to the grocery store you might, but it’s even worse for women, thanks to the wage gap and the pink tax. Research from 2022 shows women workers are still earning an average of 82% of what men earn, which hasn’t changed much in the last 20 years.
But on top of that, we have the pink tax, which isn’t an actual tax, just a term for how marketers target women with pink products and then charge more for those products than the same, or similar products geared for men. These are some examples of where we’re still feeling the pink tax in 2023.
- Period products are often considered “luxury items” instead of necessities, making them subject to sales tax. As of September 2022, 22 states charge sales tax on these items.
- Razors are part of the pink tax, with razor cartridges marked up as much as 25% by some retailers and manufacturers.
- Women’s deodorant can be priced as much as 13% more than men’s.
- Lotion has one of the lowest pink taxes, but women’s products are still around 1% more, on average.
- Toys marketed for girls in pink are up to 7% more on average than the same toys in blue, red and other colors, and some items, like pink helmets and elbow/knee pads are marked up as much as 13% more.
- Women’s clothing prices can be higher, and the tariffs on imported products can be more as well. The U.S. tariff rate on women’s underwear is 3.5% higher than it is on men’s.
- Senior care products, like urinals, supports and braces, health supplements and even incontinence products are marked up an average of 8%.
- Women also pay a pink tax of around $41.4-million every year in the U.S. for auto loans.
Source: BuzzFeed
Scott's Thoughts:
- So not only are women getting paid around 18% less than men, they pay more for everything from razors to undies! Not right.
- And let’s not forget dry cleaning? Have you ever been charged more for women’s button down shirts than men’s at the cleaners? The only difference is which side the buttons are on!
- I have to admit. I was unaware of most of this till now.