GENDER TAX – HISTORICAL AND SOCIETAL CONTEXT
Gender-based price discrimination, belonging to the category of economic discrimination, refers to a scenario where a distinction is drawn between two sexes in the context of selling nearly identical products or services at different prices. The “Pink Tax” is perhaps one of the most common kinds of gender-based price discrimination; broadly speaking, it refers to the extra amount of money women are charged for goods and services that are largely identical but sold only to females, therefore endowed with specific features which would justify an extra charge on these items than on their versions for men. A primitive internet led to the observation that a basic t-shirt from the same brand costs Rs 500 for men and Rs 900 for women. A shocking Rs 400 difference. Manufacturers may claim that this price difference is due to the increased cost of products for women’s products but there is sufficient evidence denying the existence of any significant differences in costs.
The history of color pink being gendered is very complex, and different reports point to various reasons for the same. But it is on record that, during the 18th century, pink was the color associated with men, since it represented ardor, aggressiveness, and passion. This has reversed over time, and pink, as a color, is associated mainly with delicacy and femininity.
The “Pink Tax” comes from the idea that pink represents femininity, which became widespread after World War II. This happened for a few reasons. First, there was a lot of messaging trying to get women back into the home after the war. Second, clothing makers wanted to sell more by making it harder to pass down kids’ clothes. Over time, pink became strongly linked to women in many cultures. This led to the marketing idea: “Shrink it, pink it, and women will buy it for a higher price.”
Gender-based pricing appears in two primary forms. First, corporations utilize marketing gimmicks based on how women shop and what they like. This results in higher prices for products intended for women even though these are close to those items marketed for men. Most women don’t identify this since the products appear identical. The second reason is that certain items females only use, such as tampons, have added taxes. This makes these items harder to afford for women with less money. This leads us to the fact that the pink tax isn’t the only upcharge that affects women. There’s also the “tampon tax,” which refers to the sales tax applied to feminine hygiene items such as pads, liners, tampons, and cups. The tampon tax is often incorrectly referred to as a luxury tax. Rather, it is a general sales tax on every good, though since only persons who menstruate use feminine hygiene products, the tax directly affects us women.
Women are being charged more money for the same types of products such as razors, lotions, perfumes, etc. just because it is believed that women would spend more on these products. This discriminatory pricing pricing has now become a marketing strategy.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
As estimated by the World Inequality Report 2022, men have 82 percent of labor income in India and women 18 percent. The average salaried Indian male during the July 2022-June 2023 period was ₹20,666 a month. A woman managed to make only ₹15,722.25. Thus, with lower income and more expenditure, women are doubly discriminated against only because of their gender.
The pink tax continues to burden women worldwide with a heavy financial load, mainly because they still earn less than men. In India, this economic strain is evident as women often face higher expenses while being paid less than men due to the gender pay gap. Implementation of the Pink Tax significantly affects life. Women are exploited at a very high level in society because we create differences and overemphasize them ourselves.
Understand the persistence of the pink tax today as a function of past female economic disadvantage. Though many outer manifestations of discrimination have been eradicated, economic disadvantage remains with the aiding and abetting influences of the pink tax and other forms of taxation targeted at women. For example, luxury taxation in the form of sales tax on tampons and other feminine products increases the economic inequality of female consumers as women are compelled to pay more for the necessities already specific to the gender.
Additionally, there are many aspects, including wage disparities between men and women and occupational segregation by sex, that are responsible for differentiating the level of earnings between men and women (Fuchs, 1998). Disparities in consumer price can further be divided under the ‘cost of being female’ which finds its root from cultural society norms. For instance, such ingrained prejudices lead to habitual undervaluing of the capability of the female, that also results in situations arising as part of economic inequality for women.
Societal norms help the pink tax phenomenon to continue as they are associated with the overall cost of belonging within the female gender. Rebranding products based on the notion that women enjoy bright “feminine” colors like pink or purple, as well as sweet-smelling aromas in personal care products solely as a marketing strategy both disadvantage women economically as well as a social aspect. Businesses can overcharge women for the identical things that men use because of this biased marketing technique.
INVISIBLE COSTS – CUMULATIVE EFFECT ON WOMEN’S WEALTH
- Lifetime consumer goods expenses: Basic consumer goods, such as clothes and personal care products, as well as services are basic examples of a very visible price discrimination. These all add up in the life-time accumulation of wealth for women because they spend tens of thousands of rupees more than their male counterparts throughout their lifetime. This deters them from savings or investment, which impacts their financial and independence. Apart from the existence of the Tampon Tax leads to period poverty causing possible loss of work or educational opportunities due to a lack of access to these products thus adding to the financial burden.
- Healthcare-related pink tax: A new report by Delloite finds that women have 18% higher annual out-of-pocket costs on average than men. This estimate excludes pregnancy-related costs, which are normally offset by additional health care spending on women. Women in general experience more interaction with the health care system. Women live longer than men and see a provider and receive more care at a much higher rate than men. According to the Deloitte report, radiology, laboratory work, mental health, emergency room, office visits, physical/occupational therapy, and chiropractic care are offered in higher proportions by women than by men. But the women tend to exceed their deductible through these encounters, and hence, a lower value of care will be obtained from each premium dollar spent on them. For instance, out-of-pocket costs tend to be higher, which is a contradictory observation. Specific check-ups such as gynecological exams or breast cancer screening are actually costlier than other types of check-ups.
- Transportation and safety costs: Women have needs and behaviors for transport and mobility that differ from the rest. Men’s traveling patterns can easily be predicted, whereas women’s traveling patterns are complex because of the social roles ascribed to women. Since they historically have taken more household responsibilities, women often find jobs nearer their homes, and they often work fewer hours and/or in an irregular manner. They tend to be located in lower-paying industries. Overall, men are willing to take 14% more commuting time than women. Besides that, women tend to spend more money on transport to go for a safer route, thereby spending more.
- Challenges related to entrepreneurship:Stereotypes about gender are another factor that perceives entrepreneurship. More traditional stereotypes portray entrepreneurs as masculine in terms of being bold, aggressive, and competitive, among other traits. Such stereotypes influence women who want to become entrepreneurs because they set parameters for what is thought appropriate based on societal expectations and norms. The perception that entrepreneurship is a male-dominated field may also dishearten women from carrying out entrepreneurial aspirations. Gender stereotypes can make one have prejudices in assessing women’s entrepreneurial ideas and capabilities; consequently, this breeds lack of confidence as well as self-belief in women entrepreneurs.
- Financial products and services:Access to capital with gendered differences is one of the major constraints that faces women entrepreneurs. Women face hurdles in accessing financial resources when they want to start or expand their businesses. Gender biases and stereotypes within the financial sector make it difficult for women entrepreneurs to get loans, venture capital, and other types of financing. Moreover, the strict requirements and risk assessment models by traditional financing institutions disadvantage women entrepreneurs. A lack of collateral, poor credit history, and unconscious biases in assessing business proposals also make it challenging for women to gain access to capital. Addressing these gendered differences in accessing capital requires implementing measures such as promoting gender-sensitive lending practices, offering targeted funding programs for women entrepreneurs, and providing financial literacy and capacity-building programs
These invisible costs, while often overlooked, have a significant cumulative effect on women’s wealth over time. The pink tax and related gender-based pricing disparities contribute to a widening wealth gap that extends beyond just income differences, affecting long-term financial security and economic empowerment for women.
Case study-
BIC’s “For Her” Pens: A Case of Pensive Discrimination
The office supply company, BIC, recently released, “BIC For Her Pens”, which were significantly increased in price in comparison to the company’s other 66 Lafferty gender-neutral pens. The only addition seemingly better was the color pink clearly pronounced on the product as well as the packaging, along with more delicate writing instead of the company’s usual font choice. This product was immediately received with backlash as consumers were able to distinguish this inequality in a much swifter manner as a product such as a pen can bring forth no argument of gender specifications, unlike razors or hair care products. However, such products exist across the board, even when considered so outlandish and unfair. Women are regularly being subjected to price hikes within every aspect of daily life for products such as the BIC For Her Pens that have no real benefit to the female gender. The ‘fashionable’ and feminine pen created by BIC can, in fact, cost up to 70% more than a gender-neutral pen being marketed by the same company. A product such as this one, although not directly targeted at children like toys and clothes, is in fact still contributing to societal pressures on children to conform to desired gender roles brought forth by large companies.
By perpetuating these stereotypes, companies like BIC contribute to a harmful societal expectation that women must conform to traditional gender roles.
The case of BIC’s “For Her” pens provides clear evidence of the pink tax, demonstrating that women consistently pay more for products that are essentially identical to those marketed to men. This practice is not only unfair but also perpetuates economic inequality.
Gendered drycleaning rates
In consideration with the flow of the tax into the world of services, laundering can be further examined. The story of New York activist, Ms. Floyd, is therefore examined. Floyd, who attempted to have both her and her husband’s near identical shirts laundered at a local dry cleaner was met with the realization that the cleaning of her shirt would cost more than her husband’s. This left her flabbergasted as both shirts were of the same material and design, with her shirt even being smaller in size (Buckley, 2009). Stories from individuals such as Ms. Floyd further prove the existence of gender pricing within industries offering both goods and services. As specified by Ms. Floyd, not all dry cleaners partake in gendered pricing. This may leave room for the argument of selection bias. However, dry cleaners do subject customers to some form of gendered pricing as a whole. The state of Vermont found the trend of varying laundering services so perplexing that it launched an official inquiry. It was found that women are regularly, “charged up to $5.20 more than men per shirt” (Yazıcıoğlu, 2018). This disparity continues as Yazıcıoğlu describes the Vermont inquiry as finding, “The average dry-clean cost of a men’s shirt was $2.06, whereas it was $3.95 for a women’s shirt” (2018). Just as Ms. Floyd found, these prices were upfront charges while not including further costs that may have been incurred due to intricate shirt designs or embellishments. These prices are set up clearly defined by gender as the investigation showcased. Businesses advertised these figures without having even seen any articles of clothing. In retribution, dry cleaners the state inquiry asked the cleaners to clearly define the purpose of these gendered upcharges, however, just as Ms. Floyd had experienced, no true justification could be made. As this case showcases, services are a huge consideration within the parameters of the pink tax.
Gender tax in major economies
The pink tax is a social issue that deepened in its roots and made it difficult for women to make their lives better throughout the world and it has especially impacted women who are not earning as much as men.
Of the 146 countries examined, only five out of them managed to secure wage equality for women and men. In addition, developing countries are losing out because the number decreased to 129 countries this year from 93 countries last year, a worrying trend towards equal labor participation. According to the gender gap report, wealth accumulated through higher earnings among males, which is wrought by pay disparities, is one of the main causes of inequality among genders. The pink tax correction process is on the move. Not only has the United Nations made the call for countries around the globe to stop charging women more blue tacks, it has gone further to ensure that women are at a jaw-dropping 100% participation in the economy.
Tampon tax worldwide
Around the globe, feminine hygiene products are taxed at rates well above the expected level for basic necessities. Pads and tampons are often included in the usual sales tax brackets even though it might be argued that a lower one would be more appropriate. In some states, menstrual hygiene products are included from the outset in the luxury items category and are subjected to taxation levels, which also affect the sale of cigarettes and alcohol.
Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Canada, India and several other countries have recently removed all sales tax on sanitary napkins and tampons. The decisions were approved by many, but also some of them stated that the sales tax, which is mandatory for standard items (of which bread and rice come to mind), should still be the smallest rate. Moreover, in the last 12 months, Colombia and Rwanda also zeroed sales tax on period supplies.
In India and other developing countries, the absence of sales tax does not automatically mean that sanitary products are accessible and all the population uses them. In many countries, the high import duties serve as an additional barrier to the affordability of sanitary products if no good products are manufactured locally. Activists have suggested that the more effective solution would be or would be a program that gives the products for free to the needy women and could be funded through the (small) sales tax paid by those who can afford to buy the products.
Despite the raising awareness and efforts to decrease gender inequality, a gender tax is still a real problem in most of the emerging economies. Cultural values, economic inequality, and the long history of tax rules sometimes tend to maintain such an imbalance.
Key factors that cause the gender tax:
Indirect taxes: Most indirect taxes are imposed on the fundamental products and services that women commonly buy and utilize, for example, sanitary products, childcare and cosmetics. These levies may thus have a higher effect on their individual budget.
Discriminatory Tax Policies: Certain tax laws discriminate directly against women. For example, tax law discriminated against single women, or assumed that the male breadwinner leads a household.
Limited Access to Financial Services: There are women who will face difficulties in access to credit through loans or credit cards and other forms of credit. Such conditions will thereby limit economic growth and financial stability.
Informal economy: Many women, especially in developing economies, are prevalent in the informal economy and, with many informal economies untaxed, they lose potential government revenue and receive less government public good based on gender inequality.
Pink Tax awareness In india
There is a lack of public awareness of this pricing gap in both wealthy and poor nations. As many as 67% of Indian individuals have never heard of the pink tax, according to a recent poll. The agitation against the 12 – 14 percent GST charged on banned sanitary napkins and other women’s hygiene items in India was the first time this gendered pricing was brought to the public’s attention in India. Contraceptives are exempt from taxes since they are deemed necessary items, while sanitary products for women were subject to a “tampon tax” because they were considered a luxury rather than a need. The government finally repealed the “tampon tax” in 2018 after receiving over 4, 00, 000 signatures on online petitions, which included those from activists, celebrities, politicians, and comedians. Pink tax, despite the “tampon tax” movement in India, is a largely unchallenged standard in the economy and in society as a whole. As a result of these and other social media campaigns, it has received some notice, but the number of people who know about it is still rather small.
According to a study by Businessoffashion.com, there were seventeen instances where the same style of clothes had different prices for men and women. These instances were observed on the e-commerce platforms of renowned brands such as Saint Laurent, Valentino, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Balmain, and Alexander Wang. In most cases, the women’s version was priced higher, with women sometimes paying up to $1,000 more.
Psychological Impact of gender tax
Women even with increased financial advantage sense barriers on defined goods being a fiscal market. They not only earn less than men, on average, but they also often pay more for purchases or get less for what they spend. This gives the pink tax the ability to bolster the existing divide between the sexes regarding income. Men are the ones who possess a large proportion of the buying power in the economy, which makes it possible for them to earn enough to finance their living expenses. Conversely, the female gender is overtaxed due to the fact that they are being charged more for products that are gender-based while their pay is lower than the male gender. Furthermore, the taxes placed on feminine hygiene items that men do not include can also be stated as a cause of this cockeyed imbalance. Some cases of non-equal pricing of the goods and the services that are according to gender have been found throughout the market. This condition can thus be seen as gender discrimination that is not really intentional. However, the regularity of female consumers being in a bind and paying high prices for women-specific goods and services effectively acts as a tax on being a woman.
The portrayal of unrealistic body image perfection in public ads has led to the formation and perpetuation of stereotypical beliefs which stress women to buy even overpriced beauty products. The surrounding cultural milieu makes people believe that women should pay more just because the products have a feminine connotation; which in turn endorses social norms of what ‘being a woman’ means. The overselling of insecure products means the girls end up with additional financial pressures, creating a feeding cycle, where women are more likely to uphold stereotypical ‘feminine’ behaviour. Similarly, the pink color is associated with femininity leading most of the goods to be this way which is the case of women marketed goods.
In February 2018 the CEO of Pepsico, Indra Nooyi issued a statement claiming that they will launch snacks that explicitly appeal to the wants and fancies of women. From this, they averred developing less crunchy chips contained in gender-specific packaging handbags to be suitable for the female demography. This pretty much read to me as an example of gendered marketing that propagates detrimental clichés of what might be expected out of ‘good women’: the ideas of ‘healthiness’ are countered against ‘femininity’ through methods of consumption. Without a step to admit how certain gender-specific offerings were obsolete and exclusionary in a context then, gender-neutral pricing would be necessary if services offered to unisex, cis, trans, non-binary, and others all cost the same regardless of the gender involved. Other intersecting aspects, queer people, such as LGBTQ+, are also disadvantaged because of prejudice generated by the black-and-white conception of binary gender norms and gender identities and are often excluded from such debates. Specifically, the negative effects of social pink taxes are palpably felt through sex-specific products. This class of items includes but is not limited to a couple of examples such as weight-loss medications, whitening face lotions, and anti-ageing treatments, and consequently, presume on women as a sub-group; these products generally take every opportunity to serve exploitation against societal beauty standards and gender-specific norms, thereby propagating scrutiny over appearances and encouraging and expanding the exploitations against women. Meaning in detail, women are compelled to buy said gender-marketed product hence cost-centered, which eventually leads to health consideration problems–both physical and psychological.
LEGISLATIVE RESPONSES
Legislative responses intend to address these inequities via targeted laws and guidelines. Given below are key legislative responses used to combat the gender tax:
- Pink Tax elimination
– Anti-Gender-based Pricing: Some governments enact legal guidelines that forbid outlets and service carriers from charging an additional dollar for the objects focused at girls due to the fact it is an item for women. For instance, California passed a law referred to as the Gender Tax Repeal Act of 1995, which banned companies from charging exceptional costs on services due to gender, including dry cleaning or a haircut.
-Customer Product Pricing Audit: The government needs to conduct habitual patron product pricing audits to institute and correct any present gender imbalances in terms of costs. Auditing allows for verification of a company’s records to ensure that the company is upholding fair practices.
- Taxes on merchandise labeled as Hygiene for the Women Gender
-“Tampon Tax”: Majority number of countries charge sales taxes on sanitary hygiene products, inclusive of tampons or sanitary napkins, which might be a need. As a result, some governments have taken the initiative to put off this tax on the grounds that these are not luxuries but necessities. Some examples encompass:
-United Kingdom: They eliminated the tampon tax back in 2021.
-Canada: In 2015 clearly abolished its personal GST on female hygiene products.
-U.S. States: Maximum number of states – big apple, Florida, Illinois, for example have exempted menstrual products from state sales taxes.
-Free or Subsidised Menstrual products: Additionally, they offer free/subsidised menstrual products to women. For instance, they distribute them for free in schools, network centres and public toilets in Scotland. New Zealand also allows free provision of these products.
3.Statute for Equal Pay
– Pay Transparency legal guidelines: Globally, countries have implemented pay transparency legal guidelines where employers are made to disclose pay gaps as a mechanism to reduce the pay differences between men and women. A number of them are as follows:
-Iceland: Enacted an identical Pay Certification law by means of which companies must reveal that they offer equal pay or face fines.
– In the U.S, California handed a regulation in 2020 requiring pay statistics reporting in large corporations to determine and cast off gender-based pay disparities totally.
-Legal Reforms to close the Pay gap: The French, German, and Australian governments are developing better mechanisms of enforcement so as to successfully deal with pay discrimination issues. Citing an example, the Pay Transparency Directive of the European Union compels organisations to pay fairly, which provides women with stronger legal remedies.
- Parental Leave Reforms
– Gender-neutral Parental leave: Identical parental leaves for both men and women will help cope with their economic inequality if they’re entrusted with caregiving duties. For example, in Sweden, coverage incentives are provided for paternity leave. This decreases the “motherhood penalty” that sends girls to career stagnation and resultant low wages.
– Paid Family Leave: Some states or the country as a whole will see improvement in paid circle of relatives go away guidelines. This may decrease the gender tax due to the fact women are compensated for misplaced time at work to take care of their kids. Norway, Iceland and Estonia are a few nations that are good examples in this regard.
- Subsidised Child care and Caregiving support
-Government-Subsidised Child Care: Low-priced or subsidised child care services reduce gender tax via making sure women play a greater role in the workforce. France and Sweden tremendously increased public structures for childcare such that out-of-pocket charges are negligible for households, making the economic stress lighter on women who are regularly the primary caregivers.
-The Tax credits for Caregiving: Several Nations and states offer tax credits and deduction for care giving charges inclusive of dependent children or elderly family members. Now, the tax credit score reduces the load of unpaid care on women. For instance, within the United States, parents can get a percent in their childcare charges off federal income taxes through the Child and Dependent Care Credit.
- Anti-Discrimination and Employment Equity Laws
-Anti-Discrimination legal guidelines relating to place of work: Anti-discrimination laws that address women are legal guidelines that cope with gender discrimination at the place of work. This, consequently, reduces monetary consequences levied on ladies in hiring, promotion, and pay. An instance is within the U.S., with the Civil Rights Act (title VII), and additionally inside the United Kingdom, is the Equality Act of 2010, that prohibit employment based on discrimination against men.
– Gender Quotas in leadership: The governments of several nations have placed gender quotas on company boards and leadership to avoid underrepresentation and make sure that women are presented equal opportunities as their male counterparts. For instance:
– Norway: besides, Norway adopted a 40% quota that has to be instituted in corporate boards.
– Germany: Seeks major companies to hold 30% of board seats for women.
- Economic Inclusion Regulations
-Women’s access to credit and economic resources: These are policies that the authorities has undertaken to remove the monetary inequality between genders by ensuring women’s access to credit score and monetary resources. This consists of micro-finance for women entrepreneurs and laws that guarantee the absence of discriminatory lending practices. Citing a few examples:
-India: The government disperses microcredit loans to women entrepreneurs via the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana scheme.
-Brazil: Application of Microcredit to women aims to enhance economic inclusion. Some of its price range pass at once to female entrepreneurship in a low-hobby mortgage application.
- Retirement and Pension Reforms
-Balanced Pension Reforms: Women earn much less and work for fewer years as compared to men. This implies that the pension and savings benefits are less.
-Retirement benefits :The retirement gain difficulty has been worked on and modified in some nations to make it closer to be identical amongst males and females.
-Pension Contribution Split: A few international locations can split pension contributions by spouses to account for times when women were unable to work because of caregiving.
-Credit score for Caregiving: Germany and Sweden, as an instance, offer credit pensions for periods of caregiving, to ensure women will not be disproportionately penalised upon retirement.
9.Women’s representation in policy-making
-Gender-Responsive Budgeting: Many nations have mainstreamed gender-responsive budgeting practices. Thus, government budgets are thoroughly analyzed and spent in a way that promotes gender equality. Such practices examine how decisions associated with budgeting affect specific genders differently and work towards reducing gaps in monetary participation and services.
-Representative women inside the decisions making mandate: Gender quotas or related measures have now been added as a tool through which legislative bodies make sure that women are efficaciously represented in maximum policy-making structures. Elevated representations can also relate to accomplishing regulations leaning towards the enhanced welfare of genders, putting off financial system of inequality of gender tax among others.
STRATEGIES TO MITIGATE GENDER BASED ECONOMIC INEQUALITY
In contemporary times, financial inequality amongst the genders has been a problem, with many women experiencing boundaries in financial activities, assets, and movement to higher socio-monetary levels. Techniques to deal with this inequality needs to be adequate and well-planned, targeting the social, legal, and personal aspects of the difficulty.
- Policy and Legal reforms
-Equal Pay Legislation: The same pay for equal work has to be enforced and improved so that women do not earn much less than males for the same activity. This may include laws mandating corporations to increase their profits and address any gaps in payment.
-Parental leave policies: Parental leave regulations which are not gender-based lessen the salary gap associated with maternity. In maximum instances, maximum families share responsibilities without affecting the wage tiers of working men in such households.
-Affordable Childcare Services: Public funding for the least expensive and available childcare offerings can help reduce the load of care on ladies, who are generally the primary caregivers, making it easier for them to earn and enjoy a higher standard of living.
- Education and skill development
-Access to STEM education: Overcoming barriers in getting admission to such training and pursuing such careers by women can close the gaps. Programs that inspire girls as early as possible to absorb STEM can help break stereotypes that restrict their career picks.
-Lifelong learning opportunities: For example, lifelong learning opportunities might offer continuous schooling and talent improvement possibilities, mainly for women who are mainly located in low-income and informal sectors, which might assist them to avail better job opportunities and higher income benefits.
- Supporting women’s leadership and entrepreneurship.
-Women in management positions: The government can also encourage more women to take up management positions in different sectors and hence work on redressing imbalances in selection-making and incorporating extra gender-sensitive rules. Quotas and incentives for businesses that promote women to senior roles are to be elevated.
-Credit score and other methods of access to Finance: The ability of women entrepreneurs to gain access to credit is a bottleneck to their operations. Inclusive monetary techniques include microfinance tailor-made for ladies, together with potential-building help, towards empowerment.
-Business ownership Incentives: Tax incentives, grants, or low-interest loans from the government facilitate stepping into highly-male-dominated industries.
- Dealing with Cultural Norms and Stereotypes
– Awareness Campaigns: Gender equality at the workplace can be promoted by launching public campaigns concentrated on stereotypes regarding women’s roles in society. These campaigns should have men’s involvement and must address biases that affect both genders, with a focal point on uprooting deep-seated patriarchal ideologies.
– Workplace diversity training: In-house diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training can decorate the recognition of subconscious perceptions that prevent the development of women at offices and deal with them accordingly.
- Social safety and safety Nets
-Social protection for informal workers: The informal economy largely consists of women who earn less than men whilst lacking process protection or other entitlements like advantages. Making sure social protection measures consisting of healthcare, unemployment coverage, or pension plans are improved to include informal sector employees may be very crucial.
-Anti-Harassment Measures: This may permit them to stay in their jobs and progress without worrying about discrimination and abuse.
- Corporate Responsibility and Accountability
-Reporting on Gender Equality: Groups must be held liable for reporting on gender equality initiatives and metrics, which include pay gaps, promotion rates, and representation of girls in management. Accountability motivates businesses in the direction of gender equity.
-Rewarding Gender Parity: Governments and international businesses need to provide rewards, consisting of tax breaks or certifications, to organizations that are making strides closer to gender parity.
- Collective Bargaining and Advocacy power Strengthening
-Trade Union support: Women’s involvement in trade unions and advocacy businesses empowers them to bargain for better wages, working conditions, and other regulations serving them within the realization of gender equality.
-Cross-sector Alliances : The authorities, non-public sectors, and civil society coming together can provide a wider platform for advancing policies and practices in the direction of gender equality in their engagement inside the financial system.
- Technological and Digital Inclusion
– Closing the digital Divide: Women often find themselves at a disadvantage due to inadequate access to information and communication technology. Their empowerment through digital literacy schemes, the internet, and virtual tools can empower ladies in the direction of more contributions to the digital economic system.
– Support remote and flexible work: Digital technologies can facilitate flexible arrangements that permit women to manage their responsibilities with their professional engagements.
- Global and Multilateral Cooperation
-International Initiatives towards Global Gender Equality: Such worldwide projects have to, therefore, maintain to endorse gender equality through the regional frameworks being hooked up, consisting of the SDGs, which aim at engendering equality as well as monetary empowerment for ladies.
-Cross-border economic programs: National initiatives to enhance the monetary repute of girls also encompass collaboration with different international locations on cross-border economic programs, together with trade agreements incorporating gender clauses, troubles of women’s access to markets and resources, and the potential to pursue economic possibilities.
- Data collection and research
-Sex-disaggregated data collection: Governments and organizations should work on collecting sex-disaggregated information on employment, wage, and monetary activities. This will assist in becoming aware of disparities and promote directed interventions to close the gaps in gender inequality.
-Impact assessment studies: The strategies applied to reduce gender-based financial inequalities have to be assessed periodically, a good way to compare their efficiency and adapt the strategy as a result.
CONCLUSION
In other words, the “Pink Tax” is an example of a long-standing systemic economic inequality affecting women in the form of gender-based price discrimination. Women are charged a higher price for goods and services that are equal to those marketed to men.
Personal care items, clothing, and dry cleaning services can be added onto this account. Lower wages and especially taxed menstrual hygiene items as luxury goods in some regions bring additional costs. Such gendered economic inequalities, accompanied by occupational segregation and societal expectations, severely impede the financial growth and independence of women over time.
On the Pink Tax, one must address the issue in different directions. Legal reform, for example, would include stopping gender-based price discrimination and tax abolition of the “tampon tax.” Reducing these economic disadvantages could also be done through promoting wage transparency, legislation on equal pay, and access to affordable childcare and healthcare services.In support of women, gender-inclusive financial policies could support women entrepreneurs, ensure equal access to credit, and encourage more women participation in the labor force.
Efforts to breach gender-based pricing also call for a cultural change. Public information campaigns should assist in confronting deeply ingrained stereotypes and market-driven gender roles that ferment the acceptability of prices for “feminine” products being paid. Corporations and governments must clearly have policies that reinforce sound practices, hold businesses accountable, and define such practices as discriminatory pricing.
In the end, removal of the Pink Tax has more to do with gender equality and how to eradicate the inequalities that divide society than how to shave pennies off women’s shoulders. It certainly will be making an inclusive and fairer future where the recompense in men’s financial burdens does not discriminate across genders.
REFERENCES
- The Pink Tax: The Persistence of Gender Price Disparity, https://research.monm.edu/mjur/files/2020/02/MJUR-i12-2019-Conference-4-Lafferty.pdf
- Gendered Taxes: The Interaction of Tax Policy with Gender Equality, https://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/001/2022/026/article-A001-en.xml#:~:text=Direct%20taxes%20reduce%20the%20shortfall,(relative%20to%20direct%20taxes).
- Women Pay High Tax Rates for Period Supplies, https://www.statista.com/chart/18194/sales-tax-rate-on-feminine-hygiene-products-in-selected-countries/
- Average Pink Tax in Tariff Rates Across Apparel Products, https://www.statista.com/chart/18192/sales-tax-rates-on-feminine-hygiene-products-in-europe/ ; https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Average-Pink-Tax-in-Tariff-Rates-Across-Apparel-Products_fig1_345768620
- Pink Tax: The gender bias in product recommendations and corporate social responsibility, https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/humanrights/2022/04/29/pink-tax-the-gender-bias-in-product-recommendations-and-corporate-social-responsibility/
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- The pink tax: The persistence of gender price disparity. http://research.monm.edu/mjur/files/2020/02/MJUR-i12-2019-Conference-4-Lafferty.pdf
- Pink tax: As a form of gender identity in international products? https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367208305_Pink_Tax_As_a_Form_of_Gender_Identity_in_International_Products
- Unpinking discrimination: Exploring the pink tax https://ijpsl.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/UnPinking-Discrimination-Exploring-the-Pink-Tax-and-its-Implications_Svasti-Pant.pdf
- Closing the benefit gap to advance women’s health equity (2023) Deloitte United States. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/life-sciences-and-health-care/articles/womens-health-equity-disparities.html
- Gender Culture and Entrepreneurship: Exploring Challenges and Opportunities https://www.ijprems.com/uploadedfiles/paper/issue_7_july_2023/31837/final/fin_ijprems1690605554.pdf