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Abstract
ABSTRACT The "pink tax" is when women pay more than males for goods and services that are the same, which is a subtle but widespread type of gender-based economic discrimination. This problem has a lot to do with long-standing social norms and preconceptions, and it has a big effect on women's financial health, especially in developing countries like India, where rural populations and deep-seated gender inequities make things even worse. This thesis looks at how the pink tax affects the investment decisions and economic behavior of both men and women, with a focus on how it affects women's long-term financial success. This study looks at the historical roots, market forces, and policy gaps that keep gendered pricing going by looking at a lot of secondary data and cross-national studies. Some of the main areas looked at are consumer goods like apparel, personal care, and toys, as well as services like healthcare, insurance, and financial products. The results show that women always pay more for ordinary things, such 13% more for personal care products and 18% more out of pocket for health insurance through their jobs. Women are also 32% more likely to get subprime mortgages, even though they generally make less money than menon average, they make only 80% of the median male incomeso these price differences are considerably worse. This unfair financial burden makes it harder for women to save or invest, lowers their disposable income, and makes the economy even more unequal. The pink tax makes the gap between rich and poor bigger and stops women from participating in the economy in countries like India where gender roles are more strictly defined. The thesis says that to get rid of gender-based pricing, there needs to be more public awareness, tighter rules, and changes to the market. By dealing with this hidden economic cost, society may towards financial fairness and give women more power to advance make their own fair and independent financial choices. In the end, this study calls for systemic change to prevent unfair pricing and make sure that men and women have equal access to economic opportunities.Keywords: Pink Tax, Gender-based pricing, Economic discrimination, Menstrual hygiene, Cultural norms, Marketing strategies, Gender wage gap.1. INTRODUCTION The Have you ever noticed that things that are "for women" often cost a lot more than things that are "for men"? The "pink tax" is not an official government tax, but a common marketing and pricing technique that makes women pay more for ordinary goods and services. Women pay more for everything from shampoo and razors to healthcare, insurance, and credit cards because of gender-targeted marketing. This thesis looks at how common the pink tax is around the world and what it means for the economy as a whole, especially how it affects women's ability to save and invest.Women not only make less moneyabout 80% of what men make on averagebut they also spend more on similar things, which makes it harder for them to manage their money. These differences lower women's disposable income, make it harder to prepare for the future financially, and make economic disparity between men and women worse. This study looks at data and case studies from both developed and developing countries to show how pink pricing affects personal care, clothes, healthcare, and financial services. It also makes it clear how important it is to take action and be open about prices. The study's main point is that getting rid of the pink tax is necessary for attaining gender equality in financial involvement and giving women the power to make smart investment decisions without having to deal with unfair economic costs. The pink tax refers to the gender-based pricing disparity where women pay more for similar goods and services than men, despite equal functionality. This study explores how such pricing impacts women's long-term financial habits, including investing, saving, and borrowing. With markups of up to 13% on personal care and 8% on adult clothing, the pink tax reduces womens disposable income, widening the gender wealth gap. It examines global trends, age groups, and income levels, emphasizing how early exposure to higher prices affects young women's financial confidence. Rooted in marketing, social norms, and lack of regulation, the pink tax hinders financial equality and empowerment.
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Copyright © 2025 PARUL GUPTA. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
