Thought Bubble: Pink Tax on My Mind đ
Thought Bubble: Pink Tax on My Mind đ
03.31.2023 - By: Anastasia Barbuzzi
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If youâre not angry, youâre asleep.
Let me unpack that.
I was listening to a podcast the other day, and on womenâs rights, an activist I highly admire said, âIf youâre not angry, youâre asleep.â
Her words encapsulated how Iâve felt about social justice issues, notably womenâs financial independence, for a long time. They summed up my feelings about those who turn the other cheek or decide they canât change the world, so they pretend certain things donât affect them or staying silent is the betterâ or the onlyâ option.
A friend sent me the article pictured above on Friday, and immediately, the quote popped back into my head. Translation: If youâre not upset or frustrated over injustices that directly or indirectly affect you, you havenât woken up to their reality, or maybe youâve chosen not to care. We could talk about the selfishness that entails, but Iâll save that for another day.
I donât know about you, but Iâve been angry about the pink tax. Iâve dedicated entire episodes to the subject and to period poverty. (Episodes 12, 13, 43, 45, 53, and 56, if you were wondering. There will be more to come). For all the naysayers, this shit is real, peopleâthe #DataDonâtLie, as I like to say.
To their credit, Shoppers Drug Mart decided to take action this week after CBCâs Marketplace found that painkillers labeled as a treatment for menstrual cramps cost more than near-identical painkillers marketed for headaches and other pain.
Read: same formulas, no additional cost to companies to make, but different prices for women.
A little more context: For decades, major corporations have taken advantage of the fact that having a period requires specific menstrual hygiene and, sometimes, pain management products. And theyâve capitalized off of it. But it doesnât apply to just those categories; the price of womenâs razors, body wash, and deodorant is noticeably higher depending on the brand or store, even if theyâre made from the same stuff.
Does it seem fair that products essential to womenâs health are getting price gouged, just because... weâre women?
Allow our pal Bill to illustrate how some people feel about it in the comments:
Fascinating. The comments section beneath articles like this always floors me. Luckily, Anne and Valérie stepped in.
Bill actually pointed out a couple of key arguments for how wrong the pink tax is, obviously oblivious to it, including impoverishing women. He also pointed out why itâs so vital that we create awareness about the pink tax because if we didnât have anyone peeling back the curtain, most of us wouldnât know enough to inquire about the surcharge.
Often, it can be boiled down to companies pricing certain products, then adding on a few extra bucks because theyâre for your period. Thatâs called taking advantage. And sorry, (not sorry) Galen, but itâs serving corporate greed, gender-based discrimination, and a list of other things.
Are you angry now?! If your answer is âyes,â then good. Because Iâm done ranting for today.
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âSelf-soothingâ for economic anxiety is not about fixing everything overnight. Read this post to learn habits that remind you: you have agency, you have tools, and youâre not alone.