Pink Tax in New Jersey
Written by Tuana Ece Gezer | Edited by Adaria Crutcher
Pink tax refers to the tendency of products targeted towards women to be more expensive than products targeted towards men, such as soap, lotion, clothes, and even toys. However, gender-based discrimination in pricing is not explicitly prohibited by law, which is why some states have not taken action against it. Until March 2021, New Jersey did not make any effort to acknowledge Pink Tax, until the public shed light on the issue. Senator Nia Gill said, “By a woman’s 50th birthday, she will have spent an average of $69,132 more for the same goods and services than her male counterpart, solely as the result of her gender.”
Oftentimes, there is a tax placed on beauty or hygiene products whose prime audience is women, resulting in women paying more for basic necessities than men. The New York Department of Consumer Affairs found that in 2015, a five-pack of “Hydro Silk” Schick razors marketed towards women were $18.49, while the same razors for men were $14.99. In addition, for hair products such as shampoo and conditioner, women pay about $2.71 more than men. Young girls are not exempt from this tax either, as toys that are marketed for girls are often priced higher than for boys. In 2021, Target listed a red Radio Flyer scooter for $24.99, while its pink version cost $49.99.
Fortunately, in July 2021, the New Jersey Senate unanimously passed a bill that prohibited businesses from taking part in gender-based discrimination pertaining to pricing. Tailors, barbers, laundromats, hair salons, and dry cleaners were required to state their pricing clearly to the public and without bias. However, it was very unfortunate that it had taken so long for the government to take action, as this issue had been a national problem for years.
Women were being robbed of their money just because of their gender by a country that was not supposed to discriminate on the basis of race. Women were being robbed of their money by a country that was built on equality. Women were being robbed of their money by a country where they should matter just as much as their male counterparts. Product pricing should never be determined by any discriminatory means, especially gender.
- Marcus, S. (2021). Why do women pay more than men for similar products such as razors? N.J. may ban this ‘pink tax.’ Nj. Retrieved from https://www.nj.com/politics/2021/03/nj-considering-ban-on-pink-tax-that-finds-women-paying-more-than-men-for-similar-products-and-services.html
- Kiefer , E. (2021, July 1). New Jersey Bill To Ban ‘Pink Tax’ On Women Passes Senate. Patch. Retrieved January 20, 2023, from https://patch.com/new-jersey/montclair/new-jersey-bill-ban-pink-tax-women-passes-senate
- Lepore, S. (2021, July 1). NJ Senate votes unanimously to ban ‘pink tax’ on women’s hygiene products. Pix 11. Retrieved January 28, 2023, from https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-jersey/nj-senate-votes-unanimously-to-ban-pink-tax-on-womens-hygiene-products/
