Is the ‘Pink Tax’ on military women’s uniforms on the way out?

Earlier, a congressional report found that female service members incur an additional cost when they’re getting their uniforms. The cost is typically not covered by any clothing allowances and is not one that men have ever had to bear. Over a career, this number can come up to $8,000 for women. This is a giant leap from the situation for men, who can even walk away pocketing some of their allowance instead of spending it all.

They may be saving lives, but they’re still paying top dollar to do it, apparently. There is no disparity in the duties they take on, so it makes no sense why the costs are so much higher for just their uniforms.

To help address the issue, bipartisan Senators Maggie Hassan and Joni Ernst introduced a bill to eliminate the ‘pink tax’.

In a statement, Hassan called the difference in costs between men and women stark, noting that in some areas, women were paying twice as much as men. “It is absurd that we are forcing service members to fork over thousands of dollars in order to pay for necessary clothing items that they wear while serving our country,” she said.

One would think this would be the last thing military personnel would have to worry about, given the harsh nature of their jobs, but the real world is not skewed in their favor just because of the sacrifices they make. The pink tax is not a new topic, it’s just surprising to some that it’s an issue for military women too.

The bill isn’t the first effort of its kind. In April, Jackie Speier and Julia Brownley pushed for efforts to address the issue, which resulted in the GAO report that found the discrepancies in question.

“Other uniform items that the services have determined are required and that enlisted female service members must pay for beyond initial issuance in fiscal year 2020 include handbags for the Army, swimsuits for the Navy, and dress pumps for the Air Force and the Marine Corps,” the report said.

Whether this will help address the situation or not remains to be seen. The Senate will likely address the legislation this fall, and there’s still time before the bill turns into a law. However, it is most certainly a step in the right direction.

This bill would at the very least level the playing field just a little, because it is aimed at ensuring that the Department of Defense looks at how out-of-pocket costs can be made more equal between the two genders. This means a review of all branches of the military.