Ways it's more expensive to be a woman

[darleneconnor]

Our razors have VAT on them
ditto sanitary products
haircuts
pensions
wedding attire
bras
shoes
jewellery
maternity wear
pink versions of electrical goods usually cost more

feel free to continue the list

[Meow75]

It's the sanitary products that annoys me.

Luxuries?! D'ya really think so?!?!

[MaryMotherOfCheeses]

With the exception of those items which men don't use (bras and maternity wear) do men's versions not have VAT on them?

[prosperina]

Are women's shoes more expensive than men's shoes?

[Snorbs]

I think it's ridiculous that sanitary products have VAT.

I'm not sure what your point is re jewellery and pink versions of electrical goods, though. Jewellery is pretty much the definition of a luxury good and nobody is forcing you to buy the pink versions of electrical items.

[MaryMotherOfCheeses]

I can understand that some of those items are more expensive (women's razors for instance) but is that because of VAT? Or just because companies think they can get away with it.

Cos I don't need a pink razor.

[AKissIsNotAContract]

Fight back on sanitary products by using a mooncup. I've had mine since 2005, it has saved me a fortune. Nothing on that list is a necessity.

[snowmama]

Yes.. disclaimer - nothing on my list is essential to a woman (unlike sanitary products), yet women so spend a phenomnal (sp?) amount on the following.

...I have to confess that I do some but not all, and am currently lurking on the resisiting feminity thread in the hope to remove others:

1. Anti aging/blemish/life face and body creams - often with skin lightening 'brightening' qualities
   
2. Hair conditioner/colour/straightening/curling/additional hair products (if you are a black woman multiply this figure by about 10)
   
3. Stupid denier tights that cost a fiver each and ladder before you leave the fucking house
   
4. Expensive underwear (including bras, pants, tights, hold ups, suspenders and all other appendages)
   
5. Hair removal - all over varous parts of female bodies
   
6. Make up
   
7. Plethora of products to make high heels more comfortable

[BikeRunSki]

Yes but women tend not not want to drive stupid big cars and are happier with nippy little hatchbacks!

Seriously though, I have long thick curly hair, which takes and hour to wash and cut (£18). DH has a ten minute sit down with a pair of clippers (£7). For the time and effort involved, my haircut is much cheaper!

[Quodlibet]

Make-up, moisturiser etc - products touted as 'beauty essentials'. I totted up the cost of the suggested 'beauty essentials' on one page of a women's magazine and it came to over £400.

I'm aware that these aren't essentials at all - but we should acknowledge the enormous amount of marketing pressure to convince us that they are.

My favourite at the moment is Clinique 'Bottom Lash Mascara'. Cos obviously you need a different mascara for the lashes underneath your eyes! (Hilariously for DP, the term 'bottom lashes' invoked the hairs round your bumhole, he was v confused as to why anyone would mascara them)

[Goblinchild]

Most of these things are choices by women, like reality very few of them involve me.
Sanitary products and bras are the only thing I'd agree should be considered, the rest is optional.
Rather like including designer gear, restaurants, taxis, holidays, beautician products and hi tech gadgets. You are choosing to spend money on them, it's not an equality issue.

[snowmama]

I guess it depends on how conscious the choice is.

If everyone is aware that they are 'performing' feminity and choose to do it anyway, I have less of an issue with this than people feeling that the can't leave the house without applying make up/creams/wearing high heels.

Writing that list down, made me realise that I had just described my morning and/or things that will happen today (and the costs incurred) - which did make me pause and think - "what the fuck am I doing"......

[Goblinchild]

Partly I never really got into the whole beauty thing, and the clothing. That might be an age issue, as a teen my choices seemed to be brainiac or bimbo and I chose brainiac.
Partly I am on an average income with two children to provide for.
So I looked at where the non-essential bits were and channelled my funds accordingly.
But it's a choice, I have good friends whom I like and admire who do go down the beauty/heels/fashion route. That's their choice too.

[bucaneve]

Hmm

YY to sanitary products, bras, and hair cuts (I have very curly hair and would have no idea how to cut it myself)

The rest of the stuff is optional though, and in some cases I reckon can be cheaper for women (e.g. I have small feet so I just tend to buy shoes from the teens bit of the shop and save on VAT)

Why are men's pensions and women's pensions different?

But, overall I do agree with you OP even though lots of things are technically luxuries (e.g. make up, getting things waxed) in practise (practice?) they are things which the majority of women tend to do/wear and are looked at a bit oddly if they don't.

Ooh actually I just thought of a good one! The last couple of years I've "had" to buy about 5 different cocktail dresses and matching shoes/shrug for various things, my boyfriend how ever I'm pretty sure he's worn the same suit and shoes for all these things and just alternated with shirts and ties he already had.

[sakura]

not really a choice is it. many MANY women have are required to look well-groomed for their job, many are required to appear feminine, and I'm just talking about run of the mill retail work here, or an office job. Smart haircut, well-presented make-up, variety of smart-looking clothes. The requirements for men are very differnt.

In the sex industry the amount of money a woman would need to spend on the upkeep of her appearance is far more.

Add to that, you ahve to consider the millions of pounds spent by marketing corporations of convincing women they need these products. Marketeers are designed to hit women where their self-esteem is softest. That's their job. Buy this and you'll be/feel more beautiful/successful/happy/content. Doesn't matter whether you can rationalize it, your subconscious is taking in all these messages all the time.

[juuule]

Are women looked at oddly if they don't wax? I have never waxed (have shaved) and don't recall being looked at oddly (well not for that anyway). I don't think I could tell what method of hair removal anyone used.

[Goblinchild]

I am petite, well washed, well groomed and wear simple blouses and skirts or dresses to work. I wear low heels and jewellery.
I have never been told that I need to up my game in the feminine stakes, or been held back fro promotion and I would have challenged it had it been mentioned as a consideration.
People can tell you what you should be doing as much as they like, your choice is whether to comply or not.

[Goblinchild]

'In the sex industry the amount of money a woman would need to spend on the upkeep of her appearance is far more. '

Surely a good reason to oppose being judged on your appearance.

[bucaneve]

On the whole probably not juuule, I only mentioned it because I was talking about hair removal with two of my friends yesterday and we had a friendly disagreement about it. I think they thought it was a bit ewww that I'm perfectly okay with being hairy, but tbh I thought they were even weirder putting hot wax on their lady bits!

[steamedtreaclesponge]

sakura, good point there. No, a lot of this stuff isn't necessary, but society/advertisers/beauty companies etc put a fantastic amount of pressure on women to believe that it is. It's possible to be well-groomed and not spend masses of money on it - you can do as the men do clothes-wise and just have a few nice suits, then use cheap make-up and cut your own hair - but it does still require a lot of effort. More, perhaps, than if you were willing to just spend the money.

I do think it's ridiculous that we're charged VAT on sanitary products though. You can bet that they wouldn't have VAT if men needed to use them too. And yes, mooncups are brilliant, but not everyone knows about them/can use them/wants to use them.

[Goblinchild]

Isn't that the point though? To resist the pressures to conform according to society's decrees on what is acceptable in appearance and behaviour for a female? To encourage men to do the same for male stereotypes?
My father was horrified to find my DS uses cleanser and moisturiser, because that's for women.
How are things to change if we don't challenge them?
This is not a point against those who choose to wear 'female' clothing and make up, just that it should be an active choice rather than 'because we have to'

[steamedtreaclesponge]

Yes, it's definitely a good thing to try and resist that pressure

It's bloody hard though! I had to give up on the resisting femininity thing because I just couldn't face going to my dance class with hairy armpits

[Goblinchild]

Who would have judged you for your hairy pits?
Men or women?
I've found the pressure to conform comes mostly from other women.