08
march
I am a victim of Pink Tax, and you may not realize it, but you are as well! Don't worry, though. This International Women's Day, I am determined to expose the Pink Tax trap and help you get out of it while saving you a lot of money. Of course, you can thank me later!
Before we begin, please allow me to wish you beautiful ladies a Happy International Women's Day. As we all know it’s a day to honor women's accomplishments and contributions to society in various fields. But, primarily, it is a day to promote gender equality and women's rights across the world, and today I’ll do just that.
There are many areas where gender disparities exist from gender pay gap to son preferences. Luckily, awareness of this is growing. Actions are being taken at the government level, such as prohibiting sex determination and killing female children, as well as at the family level, by challenging traditional gender norms.
However, one area neglected is women paying a higher price for things men get for a lower price, as known as the Pink Tax around the world. Let’s understand the Pink Tax meaning, go over the Pink Tax facts, the history of the Pink Tax, and more in the next sections.
What Exactly Is the Pink Tax? Why Is Understanding It So Important on International Women’s Day?
Imagine you and your brother are looking for a specific personal care product from a particular brand. It is evident that you will purchase the product intended for women, while your brother will get the product intended for men.
However, other than the packaging, the products are identical. The same product markets as feminine have a higher price, whilst similar goods markets as masculine are priced lower. This difference is nothing but the so-called Pink Tax.
World Women's Day is about raising awareness and smashing such gender inequalities. This pushes policymakers to advocate for change, reducing economic burdens on women. But it’s not easy given that Pink Tax has deep historical roots. Before heading to the Pink Tax history let’s look over the examples of Pink Tax.
"Pink Tax is not just a price difference, it's a gender inequality that costs women more for being women."
Examples of the Pink Tax to Watch for on International Women’s Day 2025
There are numerous examples of Pink Tax on goods and services. The most common are generally packaged in pink and marketed to women, despite having gender-neutral qualities. The best example is the Pink Tax on razors, feminine hygiene products such as menstrual products, deodorants, personal care products, and other items. Certain services, such as haircuts, dry cleaning, and insurance catering to women are also subject to the Pink Sales Tax.
Know the History of the Pink Tax on International Women’s Day 2025
Gender-based pricing methods have existed for decades. However, it was not until 1994 that it received formal recognition as the Pink Tax in California. The term gained popularity in the late twentieth century when consumer advocacy groups raised awareness to fight this unfavorable economic practice aimed at women, particularly in personal care products. In 2010, the media and the general public pushed for policy changes, however, in 2020, fights and pleas for fair pricing practices continued.
It’s International Women’s Day 2025, and still, many brands practice Pink Tax as there are no legislative policies to regulate it. This is a global problem. According to US government research, women pay 13% more than men for identical personal care goods. Another study by the UK government found that women pay 8-9% more than males for deodorants and approximately 34% more for moisturizers. These Pink Tax statistics indicate an unjustified economic burden on women.
The Impact of the Pink Tax on Women in Light of International Women’s Day 2025
It is already unjust that women around the world get paid less than men for doing the same work. And I am not saying this but the stats are. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2022 , women are paid 19% less than men for the same work. Similarly, a UN research reaffirms the gender pay difference, showing that women get 77 cents for every $1 earned by men.
Hence, less earnings compared to men and paying more than men for the same products makes women suffer from a financial crunch. This contributes more to gender-based wealth inequality. However, governments around the world are introducing legislation to address the gender pay gap and have made significant progress. Yes, the journey is long, but we will get there in the coming decades. But, no policies are currently in place to address the Pink Tax.
However, the US has initiated and asked all the countries to eliminate the Pink Tax and promote the complete and just participation of women in the economy. In addition, in the United States, the Pink Tax Repeal Act is currently pending in Congress. As part of the understanding, the Pink Tax is also being urged to be removed from products designed exclusively and only for women, such as tampons. This is especially significant for low-income women because tampons and feminine hygiene are unavoidable costs, which puts financial pressure on them.
Words of Wisdom
The Pink Tax is not what its name implies. This is not a government-imposed tax. It’s a company imposed premium price for women, for a product that men pay less for. This is the trap that we women fell into and were completely oblivious of until now. On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2025, I urge you all to spread awareness about this in your circle and spread the word as far as possible.
Let’s build a community, seek support from women empowerment organizations and NGOs like Riddhi Siddhi Charitable Trust, and drive meaningful change. Let’s push the Indian Government, and the world to dismantle the Pink Tax practice and make the world equitable for the next generations. Only then, can International Women's Day be celebrated in the true sense.
Nonetheless, now that you are informed about the Pink Tax, make the right choices, choose men's category products (but verify, research, and compare the ingredients first), save a lot of money, and buy yourself a gift to celebrate International Women's Day 2025; see you until the next blog.