A 2018 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office confirmed that a variety of products and services targeting female consumers—ranging from deodorant to shaving cream to body spray—cost more than the male equivalent. Services for which women are overcharged go well beyond those provided by hair stylists; the GAO report assessed that women may similarly pay more for mortgage loans relative to their actual risk and have less access to small business credit than men.
A few years prior, New York City ran the numbers and found some of the most frequent offenders: dry cleaning bills for women's shirts ran an average of $4.95 as compared to $2.86 for those worn by men. Jeans for women and men? A 10 percent differential. And back to hair care, shampoos marketed to women—think pink, flowery bottles—cost an average of 48 percent more than those sporting navy blue packaging.
Yes, an educated consumer can buck the system, be diligent to check prices and reject the branding ploy. But that's time and energy, and therefore money, too—a pointlessly unfair burden. The GAO agreed that these differences add up over a lifetime:
https://www.newsweek.com/all-men-en...w-us-economy-bleeds-women-dry-opinion-1464703
A few years prior, New York City ran the numbers and found some of the most frequent offenders: dry cleaning bills for women's shirts ran an average of $4.95 as compared to $2.86 for those worn by men. Jeans for women and men? A 10 percent differential. And back to hair care, shampoos marketed to women—think pink, flowery bottles—cost an average of 48 percent more than those sporting navy blue packaging.
Yes, an educated consumer can buck the system, be diligent to check prices and reject the branding ploy. But that's time and energy, and therefore money, too—a pointlessly unfair burden. The GAO agreed that these differences add up over a lifetime:
https://www.newsweek.com/all-men-en...w-us-economy-bleeds-women-dry-opinion-1464703
