Did you ever think that being a woman meant you might be paying more for certain products seen as “feminine”? No? Well apparently you are. So called “Woman Tax” has been swirling up a storm on Twitter recently after French women’s rights groups found that many stores were imposing higher prices for certain products ranging from razors and shampoos to even some backpacks and childrens toys.
Photo: Woman Tax Tumblr
The petition attracted 30,000 signatures which has spurred the French government into action, whilst the hashtag #womantax has sparked off international frenzy across Twitter. They even have a designated Tumblr page where pictures of different products are being posted up.
The issue also came up on Ellen Degeneres’ TV show where she fantastically mocks the release of a “Pen for Women” by company BIC.
Whilst this seems to be a ridiculous reality, what this really comes down to is clever marketing strategies based on gender stereotyping… because of course a women is more concerned than a man about her looks, the way she smells, the way her hair falls around her face, or whether her legs or private parts are hairless. So of course they will buy these items because the media tells them they need them to be attractive to, for the most part, men. It’s basic gender stereotyping and a strong example of the chauvinistic values that are still routed in our society.
This was also done when female Russian Comonaut Yelena Sorova was asked if she would take make-up with her to outer space! Because of course she is female so she will need to make sure she looks her best at all times! God forbid a pimple appeared and she didn’t have foundation to cover it up whilst she’s IN SPACE.
So in some instances it seems true that women are indeed paying a “tax” – but the bigger picture from me leans towards gender stereotyping – what is seen as a male and female product. It´s seems absurd when men are using and exploring just as much, if not more products than women, so who´s to dictate who should pay more? So despite people thinking it’s unnecessary, feminism is very much still relevant in today’s society as things are far from equal between men and women.
So to celebrate women everywhere and make things a little easier on your bank accounts, we are giving you a 25% discount in the Lust Store! Just enter the code WOMANTAX at checkout! Enjoy ladies!
The post #WomanTax: Do women pay more? appeared first on ERIKA LUST.