Shampoo, conditioner, razor cartridges, razors, lotion, deodorant, body wash, shaving cream, shirts, pants, underwear, as well as hundreds of items more that women have to pay extra for. Gender-based price discrimination affects almost 50% of the world’s population. Also known as the pink tax, gender-based price discrimination refers to when one sex is charged an unexpected cost in comparison to another sex for identical goods and services. This tax targets women and should no longer exist. Gender-based price discrimination is unfair for women and should no longer be accepted in society because women are paying more than men for everyday goods and services that both genders use, as well as it being a sign of inequality against women, and although some may disagree with these statements and say they are incorrect when it comes to women buying goods, it still holds true that the prices of services are taxed more for women; the easy solution to these problems is to simply stop applying this tax that targets female consumers.
Women should not be paying more than men for goods and services that are virtually the same for both genders. “The pink tax refers to the extra amount women are charged for certain products or services. Things like dry cleaning, personal care products, and vehicle maintenance” (Elliott). This shows that women are indeed paying more for the same services that men would get, such as, dry cleaning and vehicle maintenance, which both men and women need. “The results: Products for women or girls cost 7% more than comparable products for men and boys” (Elliott). That 7% adds up quickly, and as Elliot says, women are paying extra costs of $1,351 more a year than men, for goods that both need, including children’s clothing, adult’s clothing, and personal care products. Women are also taxed on health products for menstruation, which is something they can’t control from happening. Therefore, the tax should be removed.
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Women should be treated equally as consumers in society. “The possibility that this practice causes a prejudice on women has been a stimulus for the development of many regulations with the purpose of promoting gender equality” (Antón et al. 386). This shows that gender-based price discrimination, also known as the pink tax, is indeed known to be “a prejudice on women”, and that it has urged people to go against it. “It appears that female consumers absorb more of these costs than male consumers, rather than being distributed equally”(34 Bassendorf). This is significant because it is stating that even though it is possible for men and women to pay equally, it simply isn’t done. One of the largest contributors to this problem is sexism in consumerism, it isn’t treating women as equals.
Now, some people do not agree with the statement that the price gap is due to discrimination. It is believed it is due to production cost and the materials used to make the products. “The GAO found that there are price differentials. But they’re not one-sided. Out of the 10 items they studied, only half had significantly higher prices for women. Two had higher prices for men, and the others showed no difference” (Is There Actually Such A Thing As A ‘Pink Tax’?). In the GAO’s research, it does account for products such as deodorants and perfumes and how the higher price is due to greater demand from females, but it doesn’t account for things such as menstruation products, vehicle maintenance, dry cleaning, or hair styling. This is important because although prices may differ some due to manufacturing and production, there is still a bias against female consumers and the goods and services they buy and use.
The easy solution to this problem is to stop applying the pink tax on goods and services of female consumers. Over the years, many people have come together to create legal acts and present them to the government, but none of them have been passed. Even though these acts haven’t made it through, women are still finding ways to prove their worth. For example, there is a hashtag going around on the internet, specifically Twitter and Instagram, called #AXTHEPINKTAX, which is raising awareness and giving voice to women not only in America but all over the world. With this growth of education on gender-based price discrimination, the tax can be demolished and women can be set free from this burden.
Gender-based price discrimination is a largely significant problem and needs to be dealt with immediately. It causes women to pay more at an unfair cost, and is a sign of inequality in society today, all over the world. This tax needs to be abolished. The pink tax is unfair and an injustice to the women of now, and the women of the future. It should, and can be gotten rid of.
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