A fiery debate has erupted on X after a medical student shed light on the controversial "pink tax" phenomenon, where women are allegedly charged more than men for identical products and services. The MBBS student shared her observations on the gender-based pricing disparity by providing several practical examples.
''Being a woman is so expensive. Period hygiene products cost around Rs. 150 a month (average); a good bra costs around Rs. 400-500, and you need a good supportive bra to workout, run, or do sports which costs anywhere around Rs. 800-1500. On an average women pay 7% more on similar products to men, but it can be much much more.
Specifically, women get charged on average: 50% more on income protection, 29% more on razor blades, 16% more for body wash, etc. Most pink tax is found in personal care items, and clothing. On average women pay around $1300(Rs. 1 Lakh +) more than men for the same goods and services,'' she explained in her post.
See the post here:
Her post has ignited a lively debate, garnering both support and counterarguments from users. While many agreed with her sentiments, others presented opposing views. One user wrote, ''You missed the haircut, saloon, and grooming parlour. Men: 150 rupees; women: 3000 rupees.''
Another commented, ''Add cosmetic products we use daily for office, the cost clothes, matching shoes,hair accessories etc.''
A third said, ''But the rest yeah I'm not particularly aware of the truth behind it so I'm not gonna say anything about that. And I do agree that pink tax is cumbersome, but I don't really understand what the fix is cause men aren't causing it politics is.'' A fourth added, ''Pink tax is real and it has a long history The only way to circumvent is to not pay that tax Quality stuff is available at value price as well you have to scout for it Only when you stop buying on whims you start getting charged normal.''
Notably, pink tax is the concept where all kinds of products designed for women are more expensive compared to similar ones sold for men, despite those products having similar functionality and ingredients. This price difference is often seen across various consumer goods and services, including personal care products, clothing, toys, and even services like dry cleaning.
Several studies have proved that, in the long run, women spend thousands of dollars extra for the same products that men do in their lifetime.
