What Does Being a Woman Cost You?
This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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?
Grooming costs: hair, makeup, nails (if you’re into that), clothing that has a shorter shelf life (either by design or by trends) than men’s clothing, and the fact that our clothing is not multi-purpose (e.g., men can wear a suit to the office, for a funeral, and to a wedding on her formal function; that’s three different outfits for women).
Not to mention different pant lengths for different shoe heel heights.
Does pregnancy count?
I’m still ragey and sad for my younger self when I think about how I worked 80+hr weeks and kept up with my peers until the day I delivered.
Same. I did my best to not allow pregnancy to interfere with my billeables and career progression despite a rough pregnancy. Now my child has a few health issues that are related to the abnormal pregnancy. I have my regrets.
I opt out of a lot of women’s specific grooming/products.
For example, even though I still bought a name brand, nice razor to shave body hair, I bought the “men’s” black and blue one. I buy gender neutral, or “men’s” unscented hair products, deodorant, and skincare products any time they achieve the same goal.
Two things I admit I haven’t completely conquered: When I experimented with going makeup free there was a difference in how I was treated, so I still wear makeup. It seems my industry isn’t ready for that. I also get my hair cut at an expensive salon, but overall, that saves me time and money. I told the stylist that I was unwilling to wash every day, nor did I want to style, blow dry, or use heat tools. She worked with my naturally wavy/curly hair to give me a shoulder length shape that I fluff in the mornings after getting dressed. It cut my getting ready time from an hour to thirty minutes. I only spend about $180/year on hair products including shampoo now because there’s no “control” needed. I just knock down the frizz and wash when needed in the evenings.
The idea of a “pink tax” makes it sound like being a woman is negative, like these things are an injustice deserving of ongoing rage. But I love wearing makeup. I like having a variety of clothes and styles. I like getting groomed with various services from time to time. I love being a mom to my kids and filling that nurturing role. Yes, I wish my hair was quicker to do, but is that worse than my husband who has to live with a bald head and shave his face? I’d rather be me, haha.