Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to [email protected]
Editor’s note: Opinion staff previously published an incomplete version of this letter, so we are republishing the full version.
Picture that you are out shopping. As you browse the razor aisle, you notice that essentially the same products vary in price — the only difference being if they are marketed towards women or men. The International Journal of Women’s Dermatology found in a study that women’s four-blade razors were priced 66 percent higher than men’s ($3.02 per razor vs. $1.94 per razor) and women’s five-blade razors were priced 47 percent higher than men’s ($5.14 per razor vs. $4.03 per razor). From adolescent purchases of toys to women’s toiletries, retail inequity is a prevalent issue in need of addressing.
The “pink tax” is not a government-issued tax; companies stamp “for her” on products and upscale prices. This discriminatory pricing is commonly placed on personal care products such as razors, soap, shampoo, body wash, and deodorant, though it is also seen in clothing and children’s toys.
The “pink tax” is a threat to the financial stability of women and reduces accessibility to the economically disadvantaged. Considering that a woman earns 82 cents for every dollar a man makes, inflated prices for women’s products are the antithesis of progressive gender equality.
New York State, California and Miami-Dade County, Florida, have outlawed price discrepancies based on gender marketing. As recently as 2021, the Pink Tax Repeal Act was an unsuccessfully proposed federal bill.
It is evident that women will not find recourse through federal legislation; therefore, the state of Maine should implement laws for financial equality and protection of women.
Camdyn Chung
Castine