The Pink Tax

Does this come in pink?

Okay, so you’ve probably heard of ‘The Pink Tax’ before. Particularly if you call yourself a feminist. This ‘Pink Tax’ refers to the fact that products marketed towards women cost more than similar products that are marketed towards men (e.g. razors, body wash, most self-care products). The theory is that women pay more for the same products as men, which is entirely false. It gives off the impression that cashiers add some female-fee to your total regardless of what you buy at the supermarket. No, people are complaining that similar products have different costs. The facts are that the  female equivalent of some products cost more than the male ones because they contain more or different ingredients. That should seem logical to everyone, right?
 
For example, razors. When I go to buy myself a razor, my eyes find their way to the wall of pink and they almost bulge out of my head when I read the prices. But I buy one anyway, and I don’t complain. Why? Because I am very capable of looking down at the men’s razors and buying one of them. One of those.. cheap… nasty… un-buttery, non-sparkly… man razors. But I don’t want to. Because I want a pink, lubricated, flexible, fancy woman razor that comes with replaceable blades and all. These razors for women are designed for shaving legs until you feel like a dolphin, are made to shave the sensitive skin under your armpits, and are even suitable for shaving your sexy place. Those yucky razors for men are designed specifically to shave scruffy faces, neckbeards, and little else. So, would you prefer to pay extra for the more suitable razor that has all this extra stuff on it? I would. And here’s something pretty crazy, if you’re low on funds then you can buy yourself a shitty razor in pink. Yes, they make cheap razors in pink too, and they cost exactly the same as the blue ones. Ground-breaking, I know. 
 
The same story applies to most body and hair products. The female versions cost more because they contain scents or ingredients that simply aren’t in the male ones. Nothing is stopping you from buying the male products if you want to save a little money. But let’s be real, I’d rather smell like a flower field and have skin as smooth as a freshly waxed butthole for a little extra money, than save money and be average. 
 
So now that’s all done and out of the way, I want to tell you what ‘The Pink Tax’ should be all about. Here in Australia, the country of kangaroos, fairy bread, and goon, we have a thing called the ‘Goods and Services Tax’ also known as ‘GST’, which is a 10% tax we have to pay for goods and services that aren’t considered essential. For example, we pay GST for chocolate or a handbag, but not for toilet paper. 
 
Toilet paper, yeah… That’s a pretty essential product right? Alongside feminine hygiene products like tampons and pads, one would think. But one would be wrong. For some ridiculous reason, feminine hygiene products, things that are pretty much essential for managing periods, which unfortunately and uncontrollably happen to (most) women once a month for a good majority of their lives… are not considered to be essential by the Australian Government. This issue is what I would call a ‘Pink Tax’ because Australian women are basically being taxed just for being women.
 
There has been a bit of protest in Australia due to this illogical tax, but nothing has been done to fix it, and I’m afraid that nothing will be done. This should be absolutely unacceptable and it should be an issue that is known to everyone in the country. I’m writing this to spread some awareness, because for some reason having a female prime minister didn’t help at all. 
 
Also, please stop using the phrase ‘Pink Tax’ as an excuse to complain about paying more for a superior product. Women are literally being taxed in Australia. Don’t be a dick.