“Freedom cannot be achieved unless women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression” - Nelson Mandela
Over the years societal stereotypes take a toll on the economical conditions of people, in the issue of Pink tax, on women. Aside from the discriminatory tax being an additional cost in ‘women-labeled’ products which are commonly personal care items, it can also be associated with the gender-based pay gap and purchasing power. Gender norms that pressure individuals to fit in with the standard of the society correlated with the existence of price differentiation and elasticity are the bloodline of this prejudiced tax.
ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF PINK TAX ON WOMEN
The price discrepancy between products shows how an individual’s ability to purchase a certain item can be affected. Though women are often regarded as wage-earners due to their increasing population in the industry, they save less from what they earn as their living costs are significantly higher than men. Thus, women's capability of buying in terms of quantity and quality is clearly influenced.
Pink Tax applied in a country like the Philippines means more aggression towards women. For personal amenities, like razors, it costs men PHP 81.75, while PHP 122.25 for women. There is no difference in the razor, just that there is the Pink Tax applied on the latter.
Considering the additional expenses because of the discriminatory tax, there has been a huge cut on the wages of women over time. This greatly affects finances as the spent amount could’ve been used to cover other primary needs. Women are left with no choice but to budget the remaining amount and at times either adjust by decreasing allocated costs for other needs or settle for products not designed for them.
In addition, saving for future plans is hindered as living costs increase over time. Though the Pink Tax effect on retail costs may seem minimal, combined total from months to years can show a notable difference in men's and women's living expenses. Pink Tax not only enables temporary issues in regards to disparity but triggers other economic factors as well in terms of future living conditions of women.
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Written by: Charies Dualan
Layout and Design by: Dan Kurt Buenaventura
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