Taxes have Color too- Pink tax and the dark truth

Pink Tax is an additional tax that women pay for products designed specifically for them. For instance, a toy car made of red will cost less than a pink one. The products are filled with bright shades of pink and purple with a flowery scent. This tax is a marketing ploy employed by certain companies, but it is not formally approved by any government. This additional expense covers services that women use in addition to goods. Numerous explanations are given for charging extra, but the real idea behind this marketing is to push women to buy expensive products and keep up with the trends. 

The Global Gender Gap Report of 2022 stated that there is about a 19% pay disparity between men and women for the same work. Women do not receive pay parity in every field of work, from corporate to Bollywood. Priyanka Chopra, a global icon, once said in an interview that she never experienced pay parity in India and was 10% of her male co-actor. 

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In the face of this discrimination, the burden of the pink tax falls on women, who earn far less than men. 

Why does this tax exist?

In any market, we can easily distinguish between products for men and women. Products with shades of pink are tailored for women and girls, while products with shades of blue are for men. Apart from their colors, these products are similar but differentiated in cost. These colors also perpetuate gender-based discrimination and stereotypes. 

This difference can be explained in some ways:

Companies assume that women would pay more for a product that is similar but made for men but is colored differently just to keep up with the aesthetics. 

Some manufacturers give the reason behind the purpose and quality of the products to justify the high price. 

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While these justifications are used to burden women, there is no logical basis for this tax. It is merely gendered price discrimination by the market that is catering to two different pupils. 

With-holding the color

In India, there was a 12% GST on menstrual products, which was scrapped to ‘nil’ after prolonged activism in 2022. Scotland was the first country to make menstrual products free, followed by Kenya and France. The United Nations Organization has urged countries to cut down on the pink tax in a step to eliminate exploitation. 

Following these steps, many companies are shifting towards gender-neutral manufacturing. Gender-neutral products are expected to achieve a growth rate of 6.5% by 2030. This growth is due to awareness of this exploitation and the defiance of social evils like gender stereotypes and biases.

This tax not only hampers women’s agency but also manipulates their choice and liberty.