Sexism In Everyday Life

Hi Everyone! Here's a post about some examples of sexism in everyday life. (The links are the sources from which I gathered the information below.)


The Pink Tax: slang for the "tax" that women have to pay when shopping. It's not an official tax, but the name refers to the extra money that is charged for stereotypically feminine products.

• Women's Feminine Care Products are considered "luxury items" and are therefore subject to taxes. A woman in a 1st world country spends about $3,000 on Feminine Care Products over the course of their lifetime.
• Women's personal care items (deodorant, razors, etc) cost on average 13% more than men's.
• Kids' toys cost about 7% more for pink toys or stereotypically feminine toys.
• Girl's clothes cost about 4% more than boy's. Women's clothes cost about 8% more than men's.
• Men's clothes, especially shirts, cost more to dry-clean then women's.
• Women's plus size clothing was estimated to be $12-15 more than regular sizes, while men's plus sizes cost about the same.

Sexism in the Workplace

• In interviews, women are more likely to be asked about marital status and family life, even if it is not relevant to the job.
• If a woman is pregnant or has plans to become so, she is on average less likely to be hired due to the common misconception that the birth of a child will drastically decrease a woman's office capabilities but will not at all effect a man's.
• Women are often not allowed to breastfeed at work, making their babies susceptible to illness and/or forcing the mother to take time off work to breastfeed.
• Women are sometimes not allowed to take time off work for pregnancy and associated issues like morning sickness and childbirth as temporary medical conditions on the grounds that pregnancies are intentional and therefore the mother has total control over it. This is not accurate as incidents such as rape or unplanned pregnancies may occur. Also, an unhealthy lifestyle makes one likely to have a heart attack in the same way that being sexually active makes one likely to become pregnant.
• Sometimes women are given few responsibilities on the grounds that a woman would be too weak or incapable to carry out more difficult tasks. In contrast, some women are expected to complete a disproportionate amount of menial work to her peers, such as cleaning, taking notes, making copies, or getting coffee. This can decrease her productivity in regards to her actual job and therefore make her less effective than her peers expect her to be.
• Some women have been fired for reporting sexual harassment or asking for things, like promotions, that usually only male peers receive.
• Women are often expected to fill certain roles(ex: secretary, teacher, nurse) and are expected not to touch other roles(ex: president, CEO, doctor). This is because women are stereotypically weak, incapable of rational and original thinking, overly emotional, and needy. People impose these stereotypes on women and are displeased whenever a woman breaks the mold.
• Sometimes, women are requested to wear stereotypically feminine clothing, like skirts and dresses. It is important to remember that not all women feel comfortable in stereotypically feminine clothing, and being forced into it can cause self-esteem issues. Some clothing, especially short skirts and dresses and low-cut blouses, can also increase a woman's change of being sexually harassed or assaulted.

And on that happy note, I'm signing off.
Love ya! 
-Heather