The pink tax and other invisible taxes Singapore women ‘pay’: What you didn’t know about gender inequality

Closer to home, an Australian advocacy group found that Australian women pay over 50 per cent for birth control like oral contraceptives (AUD$304 or S$274) while men pay AUD$197 for condoms.

This gender-based pricing phenomenon affects many aspects of women’s lives.

WHY IS THERE EVEN A PINK TAX?

Why pink and not any other colour? It’s likely because pink has long been associated with girls and women – it’s ingrained in societal and cultural perceptions of what is gender appropriate. Even in adulthood, the preference for pink is more prevalent in women.

Some companies use this association to create products or services that capitalise on it, for example, a pink razor. Aesthetics aside, there is no real reason for this additional cost.

“Most economists will say prices are a function of supply and demand. The interesting issue with ‘pink tax’ is that the perception is it’s largely about raising prices to take advantage of demand,” said Walter Theseira, Associate Professor of Economics at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

“(It’s) not because the costs of making the product are different or higher when catering for women. In short, women are willing to pay more, and companies take advantage of that.”