Ran Xu

Throughout history, people have been arguing about gender equality and gender discrimination. In today’s society, Gen Zers are more aware of their gender and more tolerant of gender diversity. The power of Gen Zers as advocates for their rights should not be underestimated. At the same time, as the newest generation of consumers, they are more supportive of gender equality and oppose gender-stereotyped products that are sexist.
In contrast to Millennials, Gen Z was not raised and educated in gender stereotypes, so they are more accepting of multiple genders and more likely than Millennials not to choose to join the gender binary. According to a study by the Pew Research Center “Gen Zers are much more likely than those in older generations to say they personally know someone who prefers to go by gender-neutral pronouns, and more of them don’t choose to join the binary gender. -Neutral pronouns, with 35% saying so, compared with 25% of Millennials, 16% of Gen Xers, 12% of Boomers and just 7% of Silents.” Zers are choosing not to be bound by traditional gender-stereotypes, so people can’t define them as the traditional binary gender nor can they motivate Gen Zers to consume based on gender-stereotypes.
The pink tax has been present in many brands in the past, and many brands still continue this sexist and capitalist tactic today. “Of the brands surveyed by BoF, Saint Laurent has the most price differentials between similar men’s and women’s styles – eight in all. These include a striped sweater priced at $950 for men and $1,190 for women and a black short-sleeved silk t-shirt costing $490 for men and $590 for women. (In both cases, the men’s and women’s versions have the same design, colour and materials composition).” This phenomenon is very common in life, with many of the same products being priced differently for men’s and women’s versions, and even with men’s garments being cheaper than women’s garments even though they use more fabrics than women’s garments. Although this is an obvious gender surcharge, adverts and the media impose and encourage society to adhere to gender-stereotypes, even though they are more expensive, these gender stereotypes motivate women to buy these unequal items. The companies that use the pink tax use advertising and the media to maximise their profits and subconsciously implant a ‘feminisation’ of women to conform to society’s norms. Women who are aware of the Pink Tax and want to avoid it are forced to buy men’s products or look for products without the Pink Tax. This is definitely unfair, as women are further disadvantaged by the extra spending they incur as a result of the pink tax.

As Gen Zers’ socio-economic status rises and their consciousness raises, they are more eager for gender equality and for their rights to be upheld. More and more Gen Zers are becoming aware of the Pink Tax, and as a result, the movement to reject the Pink Tax is expanding. So far, more and more brands and e-commerce sites have chosen to abolish the pink tax, while others have created brands that are against it, such as Billie – the first razor and personal care brand exclusively designed for women – and Bille, which states on its website that it was created with a purpose: “Products with a purpose. Purpose: It started when we noticed that women were overpaying for razors that had been designed for men, while also being shamed for having body hair. flipped the script, remaking the razor for womankind and highlighting gasp fuzzy pits and happy trails.” Since women’s razors cost more than men’s razors, some women will choose to buy men’s razors, which is clearly unfair. This proved that the Pink Tax was real and sexist, which is why Georgina Gooley, one of the founders, created the Billie brand to offer women more affordable and comfortable products.
To this day, many fashion brands still have the pink tax, a consumer trap that needs to be abolished. This sexist and discriminatory product is contrary to the gender equality that contemporary society promotes. While the pink tax needs to be eliminated, consumers need more gender-neutral or gender-neutral products to avoid gender-stereotypes.

Reference

Triffin, M. (2016) Pink tax: Women charged more for beauty products and clothes, Time. Available at: https://time.com/4245619/pink-tax-study/ (Accessed: 15 October 2023). 

Why do women’s products & services cost more? (no date) Psychology Today. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-science-behind-behavior/201512/why-do-women-s-products-services-cost-more (Accessed: 15 October 2023). 

(No date) Billie | about Billie. Available at: https://mybillie.com/pages/about (Accessed: 15 October 2023). 

Removing the “filter” from the fashion industry is fraught with inhumane behaviours and detrimental impacts; Generation Z is increasingly conscious of the environment in which we live, and toxic pollution, climate change, and depletion of resources are forcing the industry to shift its sustainability agenda. How can the apparel industry be sustainable in the face of the demands of a huge consumer base and minimise the negative impacts on the environment and people?

“the industry’s track record is a source of concern”. The sector, it says, “still represents 6 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions and 10 to 20 percent of pesticide use. Washing, solvents, and dyes used in manufacturing are responsible for one-fifth of industrial water pollution, and fashion accounts for 20 to 35 percent of micro-plastic flows into the ocean. Consumers are increasingly waking up to this reality”.（McKinsey，2020）The apparel industry generates a huge amount of environmental pollution from the production of raw materials to the making of garments, their sale, use by consumers, recycling and disposal, with fast-fashion brands in particular accounting for the largest share of this pollution. Although fast fashion brands are cheap, their fabrics and cuts are not of the highest quality. These clothes follow rapidly changing fashion trends and are produced in large batches on assembly lines with poor quality workmanship, which means they have a short life cycle. These conditions further increase the production of fast fashion brands and new consumer demands, which in the long run will lead to more and more pollution.

“Environmental Impacts of Clothing Manufacture, Purchase, Use and Disposal,” concludes that the rise of fast fashion is a major issue for the clothing industry, that is, the “relatively recent practice of marketing low-cost, short-lived fashions, leading to rising rates of both per capita clothing consumption and discards”.（Dovetail Partners Consuming Responsibly Report, No. 13） 

The global goals 13- Climate Action

Humanity is facing increasing climate change, which is a huge threat and challenge to the planet and to humanity. The apparel industry is also taking part in this change and sustainability has become and will continue to be a top priority for the fashion industry. There are many brands that have taken it upon themselves to get on the sustainability bandwagon. From the production and sourcing of fabrics to end-of-cycle recycling, measures are being taken to minimise carbon emissions. We strive to minimise carbon emissions, air pollution, water pollution, land pollution, carbon emissions and the consumption of many resources.

Sustainability is in our DNA. Already, over half of our collections are more sustainable, including bio cotton, recycled and recyclable materials, or Cradle to Cradle Certified® fabric. Building on the strength of our 180-year history and our belief that business plays an important role as a force for good, we achieved nearly all our 2020 sustainability goals. We are poised to continue that positive momentum into the future, continuing to lead in sustainable materials and circular innovation by setting and delivering on ambitious sustainability targets in C&A retail markets around the world. It all starts with our customers making sustainable fashion choices, however big or small they may be. In our stores and online, we make these sustainable choices easy — without compromising the style, fit, quality, and price that customers expect of us. Together, we will make a difference in the world. Together, we will wear the change.（C&A）Excluding sustainability by brands, consumers should also join the sustainability movement. Consumers should buy longer-lasting, better quality and more environmentally friendly goods.

bibliography

Goal 13: Climate action (2023) The Global Goals. Available at: https://www.globalgoals.org/goals/13-climate-action/ (Accessed: 08 October 2023). 

2028 sustainability strategy (no date) C&A Sustainability Strategy: Unite, Renew, Innovate – Advancing positive work. Available at: https://www.c-and-a.com/eu/en/corporate/company/sustainability/sustainability-strategy (Accessed: 08 October 2023). 

World IP Day 2020: Climate crisis drives shift towards sustainable fashion (no date) World Intellectual Property Day 2020: Innovation for a Green Future. Available at: https://www.wipo.int/ip-outreach/en/ipday/2020/articles/sustainable_fashion.html (Accessed: 08 October 2023).