Upon choosing a topic for my research paper I began by considering a lot of the issues that surround us as college students. There's a long list of issues to choose from however, I wanted my topic to apply to the female college student. Feminism is a movement that has been around for quite some time, promoting equality among men and their female counterparts. As recently as last month I came across an article on, none other than, Facebook that was about gender inequality pricing in retailers across the world. I was intrigued by it and read the article. Weeks later we are assigned this project and my mind was instantly made up, the "Pink Tax" was an easy decision for an argumentative research paper. One of the main things that drew me to the information and sources provided on the matter was the general controversy it has brought on. Some say unfair gender pricing is only a myth, however, the study done by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs proves that gender pricing is very real.

My research has been very eye opening for me, as I dove into this controversial subject with no knowledge of the matter. The ILP's have been so helpful in getting a good grasp on the topic and in forming my position on the matter. My favorite thing about this issue is that its unfolding right in front of us as we speak. Gender pricing inequality is just now being nailed down and handled. The study done in New York was published in December of 2015 so there is a wealth of knowledge available from sources that could not be more current. I remember distinctly, I was working on an ILP and I found a great article on unfair gender pricing in the U.K. When I went to cite the source I discovered that the article had been published literally the day before I accessed it. Doing this research project on something so current is really beneficial to me and to my peers who are going to be reading my paper and forming their own thoughts and feelings. 

I am affected by unfair gender pricing because I am a young woman. It has become apparent that I will be affected by this inequality for the rest of my life. Its affecting females of all ages around the world. I am genuinely curious as to what makes a women's razor more expensive than a man's when they are the same style, manufactured by the same company. When I am ready to have kids, am I going to pay more for pink baby clothes than blue? When I am old and need a cane to walk, why will my female version be more expensive than the version made for males? Questions like these are what interests me about the topic because its affects are universal. I have twin brothers and when I am with my mom shopping for them sometimes I notice their deodorant is a little cheaper than mine and their shampoo and body wash is less expensive than mine. 

I would consider myself a stakeholder in this situation because, once again, I am a young woman. I go to the store and buy products designed for women such as razors, shampoos, deodorant and clothing. I would like to be made aware if I am, in fact, being overcharged for the products that I buy comparable to the same products made for men. I believe that this is a problem here in America, as well as Europe. I think people are being fooled by labels here and in other countries as well. The companies that are making these products are aware of the money they can make by increasing the price on their women's products. A prime example would be Excedrin pain medication. The menstrual specialized pain killer includes the same ingredients as the original Excedrin medication but the menstrual specialized pain killer costs more. More and more women are realizing that they are stakeholders in this situation and many have begun forming protest groups to lower prices on goods in drug stores in other countries. So far in the United States, the Governor of New York has enforced equal gender pricing in certain stores found guilty of raising the prices of their feminine goods. 

With my argument I hope to draw attention to the fact that companies selling goods specifically for women are unfairly priced when compared to equal men's products. I also hope to communicate the fact that this is happening not only in America but in other European countries as well. The fact that unfairly priced goods range from baby clothes to canes and adult diapers is really alarming. It should not cost more to be a woman in America or any country for that matter. I think I can effectively communicate evidence in an eight to ten-page research paper. With the help of a really eye opening study done by the New York City Department of Consumer affairs, I have plenty of evidence supporting my argument. 

This topic has caused a lot of controversy in a lot of places in the United States as well as France and the United Kingdom to be specific. Women have started protest groups on social media, the nickname for unfair gender pricing is the Pink Tax, which has gained popularity along with the research done to prove the unequal pricing of female goods. On another hand, some people believe that the inequality is just a myth. They think it is something feminists have created in order to stir up the public. Others blame the inequality on an increase in the quality of ingredients used in certain personal care products. 

As I move towards forming a thesis my research question could easily change. It could become more age based, showing more evidence on the lifetime of unequal gender pricing. It could also include more countries if my research continues as it has been so far. New stories about these issues occurring in other countries could very easily show themselves in the coming research I plan to do. When it comes to the spectrums of scope, complexity, and controversy, I think my topic really encompasses all of them in a relatively equal way. The topic is very specific but it covers a large population, the complexity of the matter is there and it is controversial but not to the point where it could offend anyone in the class.
