French ministry to probe why women pay more for personal-care items
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 05 November, 2014, 9:42pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 05 November, 2014, 9:42pm
The Guardian in Paris
A woman chooses makeup products at a Monoprix store in Rouen, France.
France's finance ministry has ordered an inquiry into why women shoppers are paying more than male consumers for apparently identical products.
Shampoos, deodorants, razors and other goods marketed as "feminine" are subject to what a French women's rights group says is an "invisible tax" making them pricier.
After a petition by the group attracted 30,000 signatures, government officials have promised to investigate the discrepancies.
The campaign has the support of Pascale Boistard, minister for women's rights, who tweeted: "Is pink a luxury colour?"
A snapshot highlighting the discrepancy in the price of razors marketed for women and men. Photo: "Woman Tax" Tumblr
One photograph used in the campaign and taken in Monoprix supermarket shows a pink packet of five disposable razors costing €1.80 (HK$17.48), while a blue packet of 10 disposable razors aimed at men costs €1.72. At another store, belonging to the Casino chain, a 200-millilitre tube of shaving gel cost €2.87 for women and €2.39 for men.
Women's group the Georgette Sand Collective has called on Monoprix - whose name means single price - and other shops to stop sexist pricing policies, accusing it of imposing a "woman tax".
Monoprix denied any policy of price discrimination, saying the cost differences were linked to elements "intrinsic" to the items and production costs. It argued that because more men's razors were bought than those for women they could be sold at a lower price.
The finance ministry will carry out an evaluation of price differences raised by the anti-discrimination campaigners.
"We know that there have been investigations in the United States and we knew that we would find differences, but not as many as we did and not as easily," said Geraldine Franck of the Georgette Sand Collective.
