Although many are aware of the income gap between men and women who are employed at the same job, there is another, lesser known issue, called a “pink tax”, in which women have to pay more for the same products as men, simply because the product is pink. This is more commonly associated with hygienic products, but it can also be applied to clothes, and children’s toys.

The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, conducted a study to test the difference in pricing for items made for men against items made for women. The discovery was that women’s products range from anywhere between 4-13% more than men’s products. The reasoning is due to a technique used by manufacturers called “shrink it and pink it“, in which the manufacturers make products smaller to appeal to women, and claim the additional cost is due to the change in the product.

This is not a new occurrence, however. The franchise that created the famous game, Cards Against Humanity, poked fun at this phenomenon by creating a new game for women and commented, “It’s exactly the same as the original Cards Against Humanity game, but the box is pink and it costs $5 more.”

In 2016, congresswoman, Jackie Speier, introduced a bill to repeal the “pink tax”, and although no further action has been made on the bill since then, it has still generated support among consumers. “… products directed at women–through packaging, description, or name–can cost significantly more than similar products for men. We are proud to support Congresswoman Speier’s legislation because all consumers deserve a marketplace where they can trust that they’re  getting a fair price,” said Laura MacCleery, Vice President of Consumer Policy and Mobilization for Consumer Reports, on the matter.

Not only are women being paid less, but they have to pay more for the products they use, from toys to hygienic products to clothes. To combat this issue, some women have bought men’s razors, or shaving cream to save money, and discovered that the men’s product actually works better for them. Until any further progress can be made to change this issue, this seems to be the best option.