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  • In the 1990s, a California survey found that women pay an extra $1,351 dollars per year due to gender-discriminatory pricing.

  • Subsequent initiatives like the Gender Tax Repeal Act of 1995 have aimed to eliminate this discrepancy.

  • So does it still cost more to be a woman?

  • Well, a trip to your local drugstore can show you firsthand that the "pink tax" still exists.

  • In 2015, a male and female reporter from Mic.com teamed up to buy very similar BUT gender-specific razors, shaving cream, deodorant, moisturizer, and body wash.

  • The man spent $37.42. The woman paid $42.69.

  • That's a difference of $5 dollars, which overtime obviously can add up.

  • The same gender-discriminatory pricing towards items like these was also noticed in a 2010 Consumer Report, and a 2011 study by the University of Central Florida.

  • The latter study suggested that "women do tend to pay more than men for certain types of services and products,

  • especially those that provide the most visible evidence of gendering the body."

  • And it's not just at the pharmacy.

  • Female haircuts at the beauty salon, women's shirts at the drycleaners, women's shoes, women's car payments,

  • and even women's health insurance can all be priced significantly higher than their male counterparts.

  • In 2012, CNN reported that Florida women could pay an extra $1,141 dollars per year in health insurance premiums.

  • In 2014, Obamacare laws banned gender discrimination in health insurance.

  • Before that time, 42 states allowed women to be charged higher premiums, simply on the basis of gender.

  • In 2011, the European Union banned gender discriminate pricing for life and auto insurance.

  • And in 2014, France's finance ministry pledged to investigate claims of an "invisible women’s tax" on certain products like shampoos and razors.

  • France's secretary of state of women's rights supported the investigation, tweeting: "Is pink a luxury color?"

  • In Australia, a Goods And Services Tax, which applies to tampon purchases but not condoms, has been in practice for 15 years.

  • But presently, there has been a push to scrap the "tampon tax".

  • Many consider sanitary napkins to be an "essential health good", which should be exempt from the 10% price increase.

  • While there are a few examples of "man taxes" out there, most notably for auto insurance,

  • women do seem to more often experience subtly higher prices.

  • Now, whether these prices are the result of a larger picture of gender inequality in the world is up for debate.

  • But, many reporters have noted that it's frustrating for women to have this kind of added "taxation" to their purchases,

  • when they are already paid less than men for similar work across the globe.

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In the 1990s, a California survey found that women pay an extra $1,351 dollars per year due to gender-discriminatory pricing.

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