Here’s why being a woman is expensive

We all know about the gender pay gap and how women have to pay more for haircuts than men. Many jokes are circulating over this on the Internet. But there’s a lot more to it than that.

Women have to pay more for many other things than men throughout their lifetime. Society holds different beauty standards for men and women. Women are expected to look beautiful all the time.

What Is the Pink Tax?

The pink tax is a form of gender-based pricing discrimination that refers to an invisible cost that women are paying for things that are specifically intended and marketed to women. As opposed to things marketed to males, which usually cost less.

Companies have been successful in getting away with the pink tax for a long time; it’s good for their profits. Let’s take a look at why it costs higher to be a woman in most economies.

Haircare: shampoo & conditioner are priced differently in the gender-based market. Costs for women include styling tools - straighteners, curling irons, hair masks, haircuts & colouring. The average American woman will spend $55,000 in a lifetime on hair products & treatments.

Menstruation: Pads, tampons, painkillers, and menstrual cups are needed by billions of women every month. The average American woman spends $13.25 a month on menstrual products ‒ that’s $6,360 in a reproductive lifetime (ages 12-52).

Men’s and women’s expenditure on their image, respectively:

Monthly: $244/$313 (face alone: $51/$91)

Yearly: $2,928/$3,756

Entire adult life (ages 18-78): $175, 680/$225,360

Women are portrayed flawlessly in media. They get cosmetic surgeries done to fit into society's standards. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) found in their 2014 plastic surgery statistics that women accounted for 92% of all cosmetic procedures, and men for only 8%.

Unpaid labour and emotional labour: Women aren't paid for household chores like cleaning, cooking, washing dishes, or taking care of kids & elderly family members. Women have to do two jobs, one at home & another at their workplace. Emotional care is not accounted for in money.

Final Note: Scotland is the first country to introduce the Periods Products Act - offering free period products to women. Sensitivity & awareness towards the extra costs of being a woman needs to become a political issue. We should name & shame companies that have a 'pink tax'.