Women have to pay more than men for almost the same things. A study by The Times newspaper found that many products for women cost twice as much as similar things for men. Researchers looked at hundreds of goods in shops. They found that clothes, beauty products and toys were 36 per cent more expensive than those for men and boys. One store charged $7 more for a pink scooter than a black one. Another store charged double the price for pink razors. Researchers said women's Levi 501 jeans were 46 per cent more expensive than those for men.

The Times called this "sexist" pricing. Other people said it was a "gender tax". The chairwoman of the British government's women and equalities committee called it a "rip-off" and an example of price discrimination. Britain's Financial Times (FT) newspaper said: "Perhaps women tend to be busier and have less time to shop around. Or perhaps they care more about quality…,whereas men just want something cheap." However, the FT said men did pay more for some things. It asked why journalists did not look at price differences for things that appeal more to men.