In an attempt to, yet again, cheat the female population of their equality, retail stores around the nation have been found to charge more for products targeted towards women. Ultimately, a scam to gain money in a morally unacceptable manner, women are frequently paying a higher price for products splashed with pink, sparkles, and other female stereotypes. With the pink tax, these items hold zero difference; they contain the same basic parts, products, and ingredients. Yet still, women have to pay a larger price for products targeted towards their gender. With this being said, the pink tax is unacceptable to the modern day society we live in due to the implications on women and their monetary gain over time compared to men. 

This tax applies to almost every product available to women on the market today: razors, shampoo, lotion, body wash, helmets, toys, deodorant, and more. For example, according to The Purple Tide, women’s shampoo costs an astounding 48% more than men’s shampoo. Another prime example of this gap is in the pricing of kids toys. According to a study titled, “From Cradle to Cane,” the average price for girls’ toys was $29.49 whereas boys only had an average of $26.49.

Arguing that this pricing is not discriminatory, according to Psychology Today,  companies claim that this “value based pricing” is simply a “cornerstone of affecting pricing strategy.” They state that men and women value personal care products differently. Their generalization is that women care more about their personal appearance, or rather, should, and therefore their products will be bought more and need to be priced higher. 

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No matter the reasoning behind these companies marketing, their products still reflect unfair discrimination of gender and have a lasting impact on a woman’s monetary gain over time. There is already an inherent issue with the amount of money a woman makes versus a man: the gender pay gap. If additionally, you add on an increase in womens prices, it creates a much larger negative impact on the amount of money women are able to maintain versus men. In a study titled, “From Cradle to Cane”: The Cost of Being a Female Consumer,” research found that women will pay approximately $1,351 more than men annually from this gender tax.

There is a simple solution to this gap: eliminate it. Products should not cost more unless their ingredients are nicer or their cost of production was greater. There is no justification for having a higher priced product simply due to gender stereotypes. This unfair gap between men in women monetarily must be closed. It is time for big companies to stop manipulating and degrading the general population of women. They need to recognize that ethically, their actions are reprehensible and they need to be held accountable for their actions.