If you enter a store, you can easily tell which products belong to men and women based on their packaging or attributes. The majority of floral body washes, with shimmering textures and colors like pink, purple, and sparkles, are typically targeted at women, while the dark colors are known to appeal to men. Besides packaging, the prices vary as well; generally, the prices for men are lower than they are for women. Studies by the New York Department of Consumer Affairs revealed that women spend 7% more on a lot of commodities, but 13% more on personal care. The study considered 800 products, which included apparel, toys, daily necessities, etc. The study examined exactly the same products, but marketed to different segments of the population, one targeting women and one targeting men. Men’s clothing was 8% cheaper than women’s clothing.
There is a myth that Pink Tax is a concept of the west and that there is no such thing in India, but if you dig deeper, you will see that round neck tees for men are 399, and they are 419 for women, and the fabric is identical.
Most companies assume that women would be willing to pay more for grooming and price products accordingly, ignoring the fact that women are still paid less than men in many industries.
An Indian survey conducted with people aged 18-25 revealed that 67% of the population were unaware of the pink tax, but 93% agreed that similar products are priced differently for men and women, and women have to pay more for most commodities. According to axthepinktax.com, a woman is likely to pay a total of over $40,000 in pink tax based on her age, while a woman at 60 will be forced to pay over $82,000 based on her age.
Lots of companies have started addressing these issues and taking action, Tesco, a U.K.-based retailer, has lowered their pink tax on women’s razors. Burger King has started running campaigns around the pink tax, and there is already a law in California that prevents companies from pricing products differently for men and women.
Did you know we pay a hefty extra tax for sanitary napkins? Periods are naturally occurring phenomena and can’t be avoided, but we are still forced to pay extra for these essentials. Yet here are some countries that are trying to get rid of the pink tax from sanitary napkins and period products:
- Kenya eliminated the tax on feminine hygiene products way back in 2004 and distributed millions of sanitary napkins to schools to encourage girls to attend.
- In 2015, Canada removed the sales tax on sanitary napkins and tampons.
- U.K. did away with sales tax on all feminine products.
- In 2018, India abolished the 12% GST on Sanitary napkins.
- The New Zealand government has made sanitary napkins free in all schools.
- In January 2019, Australia decided to abolish the pink tax on feminine hygiene items.
- Colombia abolished the gender tax as well to further promote gender equality.
- Germany lowered its tax on feminine personal hygiene products from 19% to 7%.
You can avoid Pink Tax by focusing on unisex products or male products containing similar features, but in different packaging, for example, a body wash. These hidden pink taxes can cost as much as 1300 dollars more. That’s why you ought to look for unisex brands and brands that do not price their products differently (typically local retailers or home-based businesses).