Talking Carts 10: The Pink Tax

The “pink tax” is the colorful term for the gender-based price discrimination that has an impact on women every day. Products like razors, deodorants, and body washes that are specifically marketed to them can be up to 48 percent more expensive than their “male” counterparts—even when the ingredients or components are almost identical.

In this podcast episode, hosts Tanya Christian and Brian Vines are joined by Harvard researcher Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, author of “The Double Tax: How Women of Color Are Overcharged and Underpaid,” for a discussion about what happens when you mix Black with pink. In addition to addressing the particular burden placed on women of color, the conversation also examines why everyday items and services marketed to women so often come with a disproportionately large price.

Plus: Some simple strategies for fighting the pink tax, like crossing the aisle to purchase men’s or unisex products.