Since the beginning of time, men have been treated as if they are of higher status than women. This has never been true, and changes are finally being made. There are massive protests happening everywhere, filled with thousands of people fighting for women to be treated just as equally as men. There’s hundreds of examples of how men get better treatment than women, and people are trying to target and take down each one.

 On September 27, 2022, California’s governor Gavin Newsom decided to help the gender equity movement by terminating the pink tax. The “pink tax” is a sexist bill that allows products made for women to cost more than products made for men. For example, there could be two different razors sold by the exact same company, and the woman’s razor is generally more expensive. It has become completely normalized that a woman’s self care products should cost more than a man’s self care products. Just because a woman needs different accommodations than a man, doesn’t mean they should cost more. If two products serve the same purpose, then they should cost the same, even if one is modified to fit a woman’s body. 

The pink tax targets multiple products such as hair care products, deodorant, razors, shaving cream, body wash, lotion, and many more necessities. These are items that are just as essential to women as they are to men, yet for some reason women are forced to pay more. Some may even argue that these items are “more essential” to women because women have to fit a certain image to be accepted and loved by society. To further expand on this, if a woman goes about with unshaved legs, she is shamed. If a man goes out with unshaved legs, he is considered “manly.” Society wants women to fit in a box, but in order for women to fit in the box, they have to use products that cost more. Society pushes people of all genders to look and behave a specific way, but women are required to spend more money for the bare minimum. 

This “pink tax” has caused a lot of riot by women, and government officials have simply ignored their voices. Out of the 45 states that have a state sales tax, only 20 have outlawed the pink tax. More than half of the United States seem to have no problem disregarding all that we are protesting for. For decades women have fought to have the same rights and privileges as men, to try and dispose of the gender pay gap, the tampon tax, and so many other forms of discrimination and prejudice. But no matter how much they fight; women’s voices are still constantly ignored.