The Pink Tax

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Women can pay up to 42 percent more than men on products and services needed daily (Maloney 3). The state of California conducted a study about “ the issue of gender-based pricing of services and estimated that women effectively paid an annual 'gender tax’ of approximately $1,351 for the same services as men” (Blasio and Menin 6). Studies show that women pay more than men for various products and services. This gender-based price difference is widely known as the pink tax. The pink tax costs women thousands of unnecessarily spent dollars. Women’s products and services are more costly than male products and services, which creates a gender bias in people’s minds that are aware of this situation. Women are charged more for self-care products …show more content…

Side by side comparisons show a noticeable price difference between products meant for women and products meant for men. The pink tax is applied to most items that are intended for female use. The pink tax is applicable to many items in various categories such as: “children’s clothing, toys and games, and personal care products” (Maloney 3).” The pink tax is a markup on products and services that are meant for women. According to a report by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (NYCDCA), women’s products were more than twice likely to be priced higher than men’s products. They also estimated that about 42 percent of the time women’s products had a higher price (Maloney 3). Drugstore products that are directed at women are more than likely to be priced more than the same products directed towards men. Another study done by the University of Central Florida (UCF), showed that women pay more per ounce for certain products (Maloney 4). The pink tax is the main reason that feminine products are more expensive than masculine …show more content…

Explanations for the pink tax include tariffs, product differentiation, price discrimination, and price fixing. Some products are subject to “higher tariffs and [some] materials of a specific color or scent deemed more feminine may cost more to manufacture (Maloney 5).” The color of an object can also affect the tariff enforced on it. For example, if an object is pink, it could be priced more than an object that is blue. Tariffs on imported goods may vary depending on whom the product is made for. Clothing imports for women are taxed at a higher rate than clothing imports for men. Women’s imported products have a 15.1 percent tax while men’s imported products have an 11.9 percent tax. Additionally, if the package is changed to make the object gender specific, then it could potentially increase the price of the product. Products are sometimes priced higher because there are people that are willing to pay more for a product than other. A retailer can also change the price of an object if they believe that they will earn more money by doing so (Maloney 5). While there are many possible explanations on why gender-based pricing is around, there is really no way to determine the cause of the increased pricing of women’s

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