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Governor Andrew M. Cuomo unveiled the 10th proposal of his 2020 State of the State agenda

WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWTI) – Governor Andrew M. Cuomo unveiled the 10th proposal of his 2020 State of the State agenda – eliminating the pink tax.

In the early 1990s, several studies reported disparities between the costs of substantially similar goods and services depending on if they were marketed for men or for women. Despite increased public discourse around gender-based pricing discrimination, recent research indicates that the problem still persists.

To address these disparities, the Governor will advance legislation to prohibit gender-based pricing discrimination for substantially similar or like kind goods and services. The legislation will require certain service providers to post price lists for standard services.

“For too long women and girls faced social and economic discrimination in all aspects of their life, but in New York we’re leading the fight for true gender equity,” Governor Cuomo said. “Last year we made equal pay for equal work a reality and this year we’ll build on that progress by breaking down barriers that can prevent women from achieving financial success including the pink tax. Women shouldn’t be nickel and dimed their entire lives because of their gender – it’s discriminatory and repugnant to our values and we’re putting an end to it.”

The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs conducted a study in 2015 that analyzed prices of toys, clothing, personal care products and home health products that were substantially similar and found that 42 percent of the time, products targeted towards women are more expensive than men’s.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo unveiled the 10th proposal of his 2020 State of the State agenda – eliminating the pink tax