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Pink Razor Tax: Study Says It Costs More to Be a Female Consumer

According to a new report conducted by New York City's Department of Consumer Affairs, products marketed towards women cost seven percent more than products marketed towards men.
Photo by Marcel via Stocksy

Today New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Julie Menin released the city's first study analyzing gender pricing disparities. The report, entitled "From Cradle to Cane: The Cost of Being a Female Consumer," compared roughly 800 products that come in both male and female editions. Looking at items sold both online and in stores, the DCA found that women's products cost an average of 7 percent more than products marketed towards men. According to the city's press release, stores price female products higher "42% of the time." A short-sleeved uniform polo shirt, for instance, costs $5.47 for men and $7.77 for women.

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"Combating gender pricing is a key issue in the fight against inequality in our country," DCA Commissioner Menin told Broadly. "Women should not have to pay more than men for our everyday items. With our report, we hope to raise awareness of these gender-based discriminatory practices of many retailers and urge women to join us in calling on retailers to reconsider this bias."

Along with commissioning the study, the DCA enforces city labor laws, licenses and inspects businesses, educates consumers, and gives free financial counseling and safe banking products to the community. To complete the study, the department chose 800 products from 35 different categories across five industries, including bikes, onesies, and razors. They selected items that are similar in appearance, construction, and branding to their male counterparts.

"Mayor de Blasio is committed to leveraging every power of city government to expand and increase opportunity for all New Yorkers—regardless of sex, gender, or sexual orientation—and build a city that is safe and free of discrimination," the city said in a statement. "The Commission on Gender Equity will be integral in achieving these goals, supporting City agency initiatives and working to use a gender lens which will include women, transgender and intersex individuals, and men to achieve greater gender fairness in this city."