The Teddies Review - Dec 2021

products has thus created a perpetual cycle in which the industry always wins

Ways out of the problem

Now, onto the $40 billion question... How can The Pink Tax be avoided? There are three possible answers:

“Luxuries” you can’t live without

First, we ought to support companies who are actively working against this disparity and boycott the ones who are not.

Second, when purchasing items such as toys, toothbrushes, and razors, try, if you can, to buy gender-neutral products.

Sadly, however, the effects of The Pink Tax do not stop there. The Pink Tax is also the notion that sanitary products are “luxuries” and are therefore priced as such. Thus, the average woman will spend nearly £5000 on these products between the ages of 12 and 52. For those whose reproductive period is naturally longer, this number only increases. Women must pay thousands of pounds more than their male counterparts, simply on account of their biology. But this inequality does not however only apply to toiletries. Items such as toys, clothes, footwear, and more are priced at an average of 7 percent higher than the corresponding products for men. This shows that even from a young age The Pink Tax is subtly prevalent in women’s lives. Having to spend huge amounts of money on necessities is exacerbated even more in light of an existing gender the pay gap. Currently, global statistics state that the average woman will earn $0.84 to an average man’s dollar. Bear in mind that this is an average , this means there are countless people earning even less.

Third, compare the prices between men’s and women’s products and sometimes choosing “men’s” products could be the cheaper option. There is a bright side to all of this. Many countries, such as the UK, Canada, India, Australia and Kenya are all striving to eliminate the tax imposed on these products, and therefore on menstrual cycles. Items are becoming less gendered, the prices are dropping, and, bit by bit The Pink Tax is disappearing.

by Oliver Bilgutay

Shocking Statistics

• 7% of women have suffered domestic abuse. • 3% of women 16-74 years old have experienced sexual assault. • 5% of women have had to endure stalking.

Women, therefore, are earning less and spending more… solely because they are women.

All have been true for the last 10 years.