The Pink Tax

Are you paying pink tax? Well, let’s see. Do you identify as a woman? Do you tend to purchase products designed for women? Do you only compare prices between the same gendered products and not across gender products? Here’s the sad news if you answered yes, you are definitely paying pink tax.

Okay, but what really is this pink tax? The pink tax is not really a tax in the sense that it is not managed by the government, however, it is a very real monetary difference between gendered products. Often these products which include items such as razors, shaving creams, shampoos and conditioners are the exact same just advertised to different genders based on packaging colours (hence the name PINK tax). But it gets worse, on average in Australia, women make $242.20 less than males a week and yet they pay more for products? AND let's acknowledge the fact that due to beauty standards and expectations within our society, it is more likely that women are purchasing higher quantities of said beauty products. This is all sounding pretty crazy right, well let's look at some examples.

Here you can see the male shaving cream is being sold for $2.65 per 100G (if this product was not on sale) whereas, the female shaving cream is being sold for $3.69 per 100G, which is a difference of $1.04. Now, this doesn't seem like a huge amount at first glance but it's important to remember that women would be paying an extra 39% per 100G.

Again, this product to the right is employing a pink tax as the women's version of this deodorant costs $1.09 per100G more compared to the male version. This means those investing in the female version of this deodorant would pay 11% more for quite literally the same product.

So here are the facts. Products catered for women are sold at a higher rate, YET women on average make less than men each week in Australia. Not to mention women on average are purchasing higher quantities of beauty products due to female standards and expectations propelled within society. Now, this doesn’t sound very fair, does it?

The million-dollar question then, how can we save ourselves some $$ and help promote gender equality? Well, to be honest, the answer is pretty simple, start comparing prices of razors, shaving creams and other items not only against the same gendered products but across gendered products. And hey, if the male version is cheaper, BUY it! Also, don't be afraid to call out large companies who employ this pink tax and educate those around you on how to get the best deal possible.

So let’s get smart and stop supporting companies who think it is okay to profit at the expense of women. And hey at the same time we'll be saving some $$.

By Alexis Pallister

Images sourced from Canva and Woolworths.com.au

Statistics sourced from www.wgea.gov.au