Final answer:
Women's products tend to be smaller in content and cost more due to the pink tax, causing them to pay more for similar items compared to men. Option 1.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tendency of items that women buy compared to items targeted at men is associated with the pink tax, which typically makes women's products more expensive. This disparity can be seen in various sectors, but is particularly prevalent in health and beauty products.
A government study found that on average, personal care products targeted at women cost about 13% more than similar men's products. Additional costs incurred by women extend to services such as dry cleaning, where women's dress shirts can cost up to 90% more than men's dress shirts.
Moreover, gender-based pricing affects women across different areas including adult clothing, accessories, and even larger expenses such as transportation.
This creates an unequal economic burden as women, in general, earn less than men. This gender wage gap is persistent across all levels of education, meaning that women may face a double bind of earning less while paying more for comparable goods and services.
Gender does not only influence personal spending but also family spending decisions.
When a mother has control over a larger share of the family income, studies have shown that spending patterns shift, with more being spent on child care, restaurant meals, and women's clothing, and with positive impacts such as improvements in children's health.
SO Option 1 is the correct answer.