Now’s the time to talk about the ‘pink tax’: Your Say

Letter to the editor:

With all the inequality being demonstrated across America, it is no surprise that women are taking another hit. Big businesses and corporations have been taking advantage of women for years and charging them more for products designed for women. This includes anything from razors, to bike helmets, to socks. This injustice is known as the pink tax, or gender tax. Most people aren’t aware of this or think that it doesn’t pertain to them.

The facts are there. According to a 2015 report from the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, products geared toward girls and women cost 7% more than similar goods for males, and items targeting women cost more than the male version 42% of the time. Women already get the short end of the stick, and the pink tax is yet another unnecessary disadvantage. This tax spreads into all categories, including cosmetics, bedding and clothing. According to The Washington Post, some popular companies, such as Walgreens and Target, have already been called out for gender pricing, but they have just brushed it off as a “system error.” It may not seem substantial, but it adds up.

This is the time to be addressing these issues because we are at a place where women are more empowered and inspired than ever. As a concerned teenage woman and full-time student, this hits close to home.Spreading awareness is necessary to enact change and bring about improvement.

Gabby Epstein; Pleasant Hill, Calif.