On the "Pink" of disaster: why we need to stop sexist pricing

According to the FSA, a person who menstruates uses more than 200 tampons a year and ends up spending $50 dollars annually on tampons. On top of the pounding headache, various body cramps and overall exhaustion when “that time of the month” occurs, people who menstruate must go on the search for period products (something I can vouch for) and break their bank thanks to the tampon tax. The tampon tax refers to the sales tax on menstrual products, such as tampons and pads, which are considered non-essential items in many states. It falls under the umbrella term of the Pink Tax, which highlights how women’s products cost more than men’s due to the typical “pink” color-coding of the products. It is important that society abolishes the taxing of these products, as it is discriminatory to people who need these products – because they are a necessity. Taxing these hygiene products furthers economic disparity, biased towards those who can evade these additional fees, and reinforces the stigma against periods. Individual state governments must take inclusive measures to end this burden by passing nation-wide legislation to mark period products as essential items to prevent them from being taxed and up-charged across the entire country. 

Viagra, a non-essential product geared towards cisgender men, is considered tax-exempt, indicating the extremely biased nature of the country that is only concerned with men’s convenience. Items like tattoos, piercings, Pop-Tarts and tickets to sports games – all not vital items – are considered tax-exempt in parts of the country, unlike women’s products. According to a report by Forbes magazine, women’s products cost 7% more on average and up to 50% more overall than similar products marketed toward men which carries over to clothing, toys, shaving products and more. This unjust pricing of products based on the gender of the demographic undermines social progress.

According to the Pew Research Center, “In 2020, women earned 84% of what men earned … Based on this estimate, it would take an extra 42 days of work for women to earn what men did in 2020.” Financial disparity is already prevalent for women in the workforce and it can be increased when the tampon tax is applied to products. This only diminishes the purchasing power of women further. Instead, the list of essential products should include tampons and pads, treating them like toilet paper and other unisex hygiene supplies. In order to protect people who menstruate, the government must pass legislation to make the products tax-free and at a lower price. Michigan has recently taken necessary measures to do away with the tampon tax, which went into effect last month. 

If the reason why ending the Pink Tax is still unclear, look around you. At the very least, your grandmother has had to deal with it, as well as your mom, your aunt, your sister, your wife and/or your daughter, too. The country as a whole needs to start marking these items as essential goods, passing legislation to ensure fair pricing and taxing items that are not necessities in everyday life for revenue. While you are able to eat a tax-free snack, people are struggling to get a tampon. What can those at Hofstra do to help the cause? To combat the issue of accessibility, the university should install dispensers for menstrual products in the bathrooms on campus. Call out the companies that raise the prices on items for women unlike their male counterparts and be mindful of who you are purchasing from. It is time to put a period at the end of this discriminatory era in history. 

 Trying to find a better term for “afab people” because idk if that’s appropriate with AP style