The financial cost of being a woman is significant and multifaceted, encompassing everyday expenses, healthcare, caregiving, and the impact of systemic inequalities. Key Financial Costs Women Face:

• Menstrual products: Women spend about $1,920 on feminine hygiene products over their lifetime, an expense men do not have

• Personal care and beauty: Due to the "pink tax," women pay more for products like shampoo (about 48% more) and services such as haircuts. Over a lifetime, this can add up to tens of thousands of dollars

• Healthcare: Women spend more on healthcare than men, including costs related to gynecological visits and childbirth. For example, childbirth can cost $7,000 to $13,000 with or without insurance

• Home ownership: Single women pay about 2% more to buy a home and tend to sell it for less due to negotiation disparities, costing thousands extra

• Caregiving and wage gap: Women often bear unpaid caregiving responsibilities, which reduce their earnings and retirement savings. For instance, a Danish study showed mothers lose about 10% of their earnings to child-related costs and face an 18% gender pay gap, resulting in significantly less retirement savings

. In the U.S., caregiving and wage gaps can lead to lifetime losses exceeding $300,000

• Cumulative lifetime cost: Studies estimate women pay on average $300,000 to over $500,000 more than men over their lifetimes due to these combined factors

Emotional and Social Costs: Beyond money, women bear emotional costs related to societal expectations, workplace inequality, and safety concerns, which also impact their financial well-being and career progression

. In summary, being a woman costs significantly more financially—due to direct expenses like personal care and healthcare, as well as indirect costs from wage gaps and caregiving duties—amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime