What is the price of being a woman? Have you ever thought about this? Or heard of the term 'Pink Tax'? This is not a famous issue and people do not discuss it as most of the population is not even aware of its existence.
The ‘Pink Tax’ is referred to as the extra amount of money that women have to pay for specific products or services.
It is not exactly a tax but rather gender-based pricing. It, however, is not a mandatory price. You can either become a victim of it or be careful and stand against it. My motive here is to create awareness amongst the women that they might be charged extra for being female. Did you know that pink wasn’t even a girly colour before the 1950s? It was a symbol of royalty and status and was used by men and women equally.
Nowadays, there are products specially designed for women and as a woman, what do you generally see when you go out shopping? Do you see those shiny pink products labelled ‘for women’ or those black matte ones labelled ‘for men’? Most women don’t buy a ‘for men’ product. They tend to go for the gleaming, attractive female ones. This is the first mistake. Some of these women’s products cost more despite having the same features as men’s products. It could be tailoring, haircuts, cosmetics, or dry cleaning, all having the same price discrimination. All these women’s accessories cost more than those for men or gender-neutral ones.
According to the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, personal care products for women were 48% more expensive than for men. After comparing the prices of 800 products, it also proved that women’s daily products turned out to be 7% more expensive than men's. Professional marketers say the reason for this is that women’s products need more research and development, additional design, and more packaging charges. Women are said to be less price elastic because their purchases depend mostly on their liking for a certain product or brand, which is less likely to change. As far as men are concerned, they make purchases based on basic value, so this makes the market repurpose the products for different target audiences. Women and men also differ in how much they value personal-care products. Women are generally willing to pay more.
I think Pink Tax has a lot to do with this concept called beauty standards. Our society today compels women to carry themselves in a certain way to be accepted. Women now spend lakhs on beauty products, clothing, as well as accessories. If you are a woman and are attracted to buying products that are especially pink and shiny, you might be a victim of the Pink Tax. Think about it. Do you actually want a sheeny pink-coloured product so bad that you are satisfied paying extra for it? In most cases, women spend more than they actually earn. It is proven that women earn $0.79 for every $1 a man earns and overall, women were paying 42% more than men. This means that it is overall $1300 that is not going into women’s retirement fund. We know that according to WHO the life expectancy of women is longer than men, i.e., they live longer than men. So, don’t you think women need that money more?
With society’s pressure of being thin, looking perfect, size 0, and everything they want us to be, women will soon be worn out. Women bear all this without any resentment. They have to because resentment causes wrinkles, and our society does not value ageing women. Isn’t it? But alas, Pink Tax is elusive and not illegal, but it is affluent. It is convenient and beneficial for sellers, but it doesn’t mean it is fair and ethical. So, it is in our own hands to overcome this evil. Don’t take it for granted that if you are a woman, you will get cheated on and become a victim of this. If you don’t want to spend more, you don’t have to. So, here are some tips to avoid this unethical pricing.
1) Be careful and identify which products are overpriced.
2) Skip some rare-brand products. You’ll notice that generic products can work the same as well.
3) Shop for the best deals. Also, there is no barrier to buying men’s products, if you like them.
4) Feel the need to be pretty for yourself and not others, you’ll feel more confident.
So, my ending words to you are, “Do not judge yourself by other people’s standards. You don’t need these high-priced products to look good. You are beautiful just the way you are.”
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