what is the pink tax?
The pink tax is the extra amount of money that women pay for everyday products like (1)__________ , shampoo, haircuts, clothes, dry cleaning, and more. This “tax” applies to items that span a woman’s entire life, from girls toys and school uniforms to (2)__________ , braces, and adult diapers.
It's a sad fact: Even in 2020's, women are at an economic disadvantage compared to men.
For example, women are consistently paid less than men for the same work. Currently, in the USA women make 80.5 cents for every dollar a man earns, a gender (3)__________ gap of 20 percent. For women of color, the gap is even wider. Women are also often (4)__________ a higher interest rate for (5)__________ loans, despite their consistently higher credit ratings.
There are only a few products that men pay more for. These products include (6)__________ (29% more expensive), digestive health products (5% more expensive), and shaving cream (4% more expensive). Overall, the greatest price differential is in the personal care category, in which women pay 13% more for products than men.
The prices on individual products may not seem that different — say, $3.79 vs $3.99 for deodorant — but over time, these little increases can add up.
In fact, the pink tax has cost a 30-year-old woman more than $40,000. A woman in her 60s will (7)__________ nearly $82,000 in fees that men don’t have to pay. Currently no federal law prohibits companies from charging different prices for identical items based on gender.
In California, the "Gender Tax Repeal Act "was introduced in 1995, which says, in part, that “No business establishment of any kind whatsoever may discriminate, with respect to the price charged for services of similar or like kind, against a person because of the person’s gender.”
these examples illustrate the breadth and depth of the “pink tax".
Here’s a (8)__________ example of a literal pink tax. Both of these calculators are exactly the same ― the only difference is the color. Even the manufacturer’s suggested retail price is listed as $8.99 for both versions. Yet the black calculator is regularly priced at an affordable $6.99 while the pink version is “on sale” for $7.99.
Unfortunately, these are just a few of the many ways women are charged more than men for the same exact products.
On another note, the Consumer Federation of America found that contrary to popular belief, women are also more likely to pay higher car insurance rates despite the fact that men are more likely to engage in risky driving habits, drive under the influence and die in auto accidents, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
How Do I Avoid Paying the Pink Tax?
The easiest way to avoid the pink tax is to compare shop prices when you can. Check out the “men’s” versions of razors, shampoo, and other personal care products. (9)__________ men’s basics like t-shirts, button-up shirts and socks—chances are, you’ll pay less for products of similar, or better, quality.
Unfortunately, the pink tax is probably not going anywhere soon. In the meantime, women will have to be especially conscious consumers and look for brands and retailers that price their products fairly.
market segmentation, gendered marketing
EXERCISES
1. Put the words in the blank spaces
a. mortgage b. razors c. wage d. charged e. underwear f. canes g. blatant
h. cough up i. browse
2. Find in the text the synonims to the following words or expressions:
EXTEND OVER MONEY LENT PRODUCER
TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT PROBABLE HAZARDOUS THERE ARE POSSIBILITIES JUSTLY
3. choose A, B, C from the following questions
1. what is the product category in which women pay more than men?
a.- health products
b.- self maintenance
c.- clothes
2. Is there a national law which prohibits gender pricing discrimination?
a.- yes, the Gender Tax Repeal Act
b.- no
c.- yes, the Gender Tax Repeal Act, but not in all products
3. What does "the breadth and depth" mean in the text?
a.- the discrimination
b.- the negative impact
c.- the significance
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