The “gender tax”, also known as the “pink” and “blue| tax, is an unfortunate reality in the US and many other countries in the world. Put in its simplest terms, both men and women are penalised for their gender when it comes to buying certain everyday items, from razor blades to moisturizer.
A recent study by Couponbox revealed that men pay up to 17% more than women for deodorant, while women could pay up to 19% more for vitamins that are specifically marketed at a female audience. In the long run, this obviously means there’s a big price hike that both genders are subjected to when they buy certain products and that means fewer dollars in your pocket. Not ideal!
But not everywhere in the Western world sees gender inequality in action. So where could you head on your vacation to avoid being penalized for being male or female?
It would appear that the Nordic countries in Europe are the best places to be. According to the Every Last Girl Report released by Save the Children, the top five countries in the world for low rates of child marriage, adolescent fertility, maternal mortality, women MPs and lower high school completion are:
- Sweden
- Finland
- Norway
It’s a fairly similar picture in the World Economic Forum’s most recent Global Gender Gap Report, which ranks the following top three as the best for gender equality (with Sweden taking the fourth spot once again):
- Iceland
- Norway
- Finland
Both of these studies take a great deal of factors into account – many of which are highly unlikely to affect your everyday experience on vacation – but they’re still worth bearing in mind.
There are few things more frustrating than being penalized for being the “wrong” gender. It’s most definitely not fair, yet it happens so much of the time, everywhere from the workplace and salary differences to stores and gender pricing.
So don’t get hit on your travels too. Vacationing in the most gender equal countries in the world by no means guarantees that you won’t be hit by the “gender tax” at all. However, given the fact it’s so widely discussed in the US and in other places such as the UK, you’d expect it to be less of an issue.
With so much political uncertainty and unrest around the world, you want to be sure your hard-earned dollars are going to stretch the furthest when you’re overseas.
From an exchange rate point of view, 2016 saw the US dollar its strongest rate since 2003, according to many major banks. That’s great news, as you’ll get far more bang for your buck while you’re away.
So, as well as being gender equality savvy, keep an eye on those exchange rate fluctuations to make sure you’re really getting the best value for money on your overseas vacation this year. And, of course, make the most of flight comparison sites to really making big savings.