What Does Being a Woman Cost You?

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There was an interesting Buzzfeed story recently that collected Reddit comments about what “pink taxes” women pay. The entire roundup is worth a read, but I thought we might be able to expand the discussion here. What pink taxes do you see in your life, and what do you do about them? (Avoid them, shake your fist at the patriarchy, try to change them?)

In case you don't feel like clicking on the Buzzfeed article (am I the only one who can barely get to the bottom of the article on mobile?) some of my favorite examples include:

• “Our clothes often being flimsy, paper thin, and needlessly cropped compared to men's, but yet also costing more.”
• “Prescription drugs tested/developed for men that are less effective for women.”
• The first thing that comes to mind for me is just time. To maintain a certain (average) level of grooming, I have to invest at least an hour every day. It's apparent when we observe how long it takes a typical man vs. a woman to get ready, especially for a special occasion. Even on an average day, I'm annoyed by the fact that I get approximately an hour less sleep so I can look nice for work and feel more respected by the men around me.”
• “Menopause treatment. More women are going on to HRT, but big pharma won’t increase production of estrogen patches. So women have interruptions in their care.”
• And finally, “The one where I get paid less than my male peers.”

Some of these aren't pink taxes in the traditional “women consumers pay more” sense, but they are a “tax on being a woman” in money, time, labor, and career capital. We've talked about the demands on women's time and labor — and not just the invisible mental load that mothers end up carrying. At work, we've talked about being the “office mom,” getting stuck with office housekeeping, and taking on other non-promotable tasks.

Even before I was married or a mother, I was the only one in my group who seemed to remember when our shared secretary's birthday was or when/where a going-away party was. I also felt like I had to push back against the idea that I was the one who needed to procure a card for my peers to sign.

And yes, some of these aren't technically “pink taxes” at all — so feel free to argue with the premise! What “taxes on being a woman” do you notice most in your own life? Which ones do you willingly pay, which ones make you rage, and which have you found ways to opt out of?