Women have smaller wages but they pay more for everything

New research shows that there is even a consumerist pay gap between men and women as women pay more than men for similar products.

A study conducted by the Department of Consumer Affairs of New York City has analysed the prices of almost 800 products for men and women. The women products studied were similar to those for men, except the specific packaging. They found that there is an average 7 percent gap between the prices for women items than the price for men’s.

Julie Menin, the DCA Commissioner who launched the investigation claims that is a form of gender discrimination. Besides that the gender pay gap shows that for every dollar paid to a med, empolyers in the United States pay only 79 cents to a woman.

Target was selling a red scooter labelled as being for boys and a pink one as being for girls. While the red one, for boys, cost 29.99 the pink one cost 49.99. After the report was issued the company lowered the price of the girl’s scooter while a spokesperson called it to be a system error. But the company did exactly the same thing last year when they were selling black Barbie dolls at a price more than double than that of white Barbie dolls.

However, more of the toys sold by the market had huge differences of prices between the toys for girls and those for boys. When asked why that is, the spokesperson declared that the company is pricing their products to be competitive on the local markets. According to the company, the price difference might be given by the costs of production but it can also be influenced by ‘other factors’.

The study has analysed prices for items such as home goods, personal care products, adult apparel, children’s clothing and toys. Researchers have found the greatest difference between women and men personal care products. They discovered that women pay 48 percent more, on average, for items like gel, conditioner and shampoo. The next large difference was in razor cartridges, which cost women 11 percent more than men.

The consumerist pay gap goes beyond basic goods and services. For example, European insurance companies used to charge women more for their life insurance arguing that on average they live longer than men.

In conclusion, combining the gender pay gap which means that women have smaller salaries than men, with the consumerist pay gap which means that they have to pay more for products, we can see a double discrimination. If we add to this that black women, who are paid even less than white women, have to pay more for items resembling their characteristics, we see a form of multiple discrimination.

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