Raising a girl is expensive and being a woman can become even more so. Even without expensive purses, dresses and shoes, women already face an economic disadvantage. Nature predisposes biological women to need specific feminine hygiene products.
Over the years, women across the globe have lobbied to have this “pink tax” removed. Some countries have been successful and, so far, only one American state.
The global issue
CNN reported in the fall of 2019 that Ohio might become the first state to ban the pink tax. Why are so many states hesitant? Sales tax on necessary feminine goods brings in a large portion of revenue for states and countries, so much so that even California considered the proposition and was only able to offer a two-year delay.
Yet, India, Ireland and Canada have fully removed the pink tax. The only U.S. states that did not have a pink tax at the time were those that did not have a sales tax. There were also a few states that had gotten rid of the tax on tampons. Here are a few of those:
- New York
- New Jersey
Signed into law
Weeks after CNN published their article, Ohio did become the first state to repeal the pink tax when Governor DeWine signed the repeal. Experts estimate this as a $4 million annual sacrifice for the state. This is how much women paid in taxes on feminine hygiene products each year.
It is not clear how many other states will follow in its footsteps. However, it’s good to see Ohio recognized for removing a sales tax that unfairly targeted women.