Gender-Based Price Discrimination

Gender-Based Price Discrimination is a type of economic discrimination that consists of the practice of charging one gender a different price than another gender for identical goods or services.[1] Gender-Based Price Discrimination is a subcategory of price discrimination, which also includes race and class-based price discrimination.[1] Typically price discrimination negatively effects females more often than males. A study of gender pricing in New York City by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs found that, on average, women's products cost 7 percent more than similar products for men.[2]

Gender-based price disparities have been shown to exist in several different markets. This includes personal care products, retail sales, and consumer service prices.[1] Gender-based price disparities also exists in the pricing of insurance, such as health insurance and car insurance in the United States.[1] Research also suggests that gender-based price disparities often occur in the context of negotiating and purchasing new cars.[3][4][5]

Discount prices based on gender may also be viewed as a type of gender-based price discrimination. A common gender-based price discount is the "Ladies' Night" promotion, in which female patrons pay less than male patrons for alcoholic drinks or cover charge.[6][7]

Consumption taxes on certain products have also been viewed as leading to gender-based price disparities. For example, in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom tampons are often subject to a consumption tax while other products such as condoms, lubricant, and several medical items are exempt from the tax.[8][9][10]

Gender-based price discrimination is typically disapproved of but this sentiment is not universal.[11] In the United States, a few states have adopted statutes forbidding gender-based price discrimination, however, these policies are largely unenforced.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Duesterhaus, Megan; Grauerholz, Liz; Weichsel, Rebecca; Guittar, Nicholas A. (2011-12-07). "The Cost of Doing Femininity: Gendered Disparities in Pricing of Personal Care Products and Services". Gender Issues 28 (4): 175–191. doi:10.1007/s12147-011-9106-3. ISSN 1098-092X.
  2. ↑ "From Cradle to Cane: The Cost of Being a Female Consumer" (PDF). New York City Consumer Affairs. December 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  3. ↑ Ayres, Ian; Siegelman, Peter (1995-01-01). "Race and Gender Discrimination in Bargaining for a New Car". The American Economic Review 85 (3): 304–321.
  4. ↑ "Dealer Price Discrimination in New Car Purchases: Evidence from the Consumer Expenditure Survey on JSTOR". Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  5. ↑ Ayres, Ian (February 1991). "Fair Driving: Gender and Race Discrimination in Retail Car Negotiations". Harvard Law Review.
  6. ↑ Tregouet, Thomas (February 27, 2012). "Gender-Base Price Discrimination in Matching Markets". Journal of Economic Literature. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  7. ↑ Rank, Jessica E. (2005). "Is Ladies' Night Really Sex Discrimination?: Public Accommodation Laws, De Minimis Exceptions, and Stigmatic Injury". Seton Hall Law Review.
  8. ↑ Orr, Aleisha. "Tampon tax a 'bloody outrage'". WA Today. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  9. ↑ reporter, Amelia Butterly Newsbeat. "Why the 'tampon tax' is here to stay - for a while at least". Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  10. ↑ "These are the states that tax you for having a period". Fusion. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  11. 1 2 Fisher, William W. (October 2007). "When Should We Permit Differential Pricing of Information?". UCLA Law Review.
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