Business

Bonta Pushes for Gender Equity in Consumer Good Prices

Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a consumer alert reminding residents to know their rights under Assembly Bill 1287 for Women’s Equality Day on August 26.
State law prohibits businesses from charging different prices for substantially similar goods based on the gender of the product’s target audience. The law protects consumers from the “pink tax,” a label used to describe the practice of charging women higher prices than men for the same or similar goods.

Published

2 months ago

September 10, 2024

Oakland Post

Attorney General Rob Bonta (AG Facebook Page)

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a consumer alert reminding residents to know their rights under Assembly Bill 1287 for Women’s Equality Day on August 26.

State law prohibits businesses from charging different prices for substantially similar goods based on the gender of the product’s target audience. The law protects consumers from the “pink tax,” a label used to describe the practice of charging women higher prices than men for the same or similar goods.

According to consumer data, products marketed to women cost 7% more than those marketed to men. The average cost of personal products is 13% higher for women compared to men. The bill authored by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) was enacted to prevent gender-based price differences that violate the law.

Bonta condemned the pink tax and encouraged consumers to report businesses that have violated this law.

“The Pink Tax is a sexist practice that is illegal in California. Women, especially Black and Latinx women, are paid less than their White, male counterparts in the same roles, yet have to spend more than men to buy very similar products,” said Bonta.

“California consumers have the right to shop without fear of discrimination,” he said.

Bauer-Kahan stated that the majority of products are gender -targeted. With this law, the state is working to close the unnecessary and burdensome gaps of gendered pricing to promote gender equality.

“It has been two years since the passage of AB 1287, and it is very exciting to see the work Attorney General Bonta is doing to guarantee consumers rights under California’s Pink Tax Law. Unequal prices for women translate to impacts for their own financial well-being as well as that of their families. This also exacerbates the already-existing gender gap in financial inequality,” she said.

The bill is supported by the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls which cosponsored AB 1287. Since the passing of the pink tax law, supporters of the bill argued that unequal pricing translates into unjust and harmful financial impacts for women and girls given the issue of gender pay gaps. The practice of pink tax further widens wealth inequality by disproportionally affecting women of color statewide.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Book Review: “The Fallen Fruit” by Shawntelle Madison

Don't Miss

Bill Would Provide Easier Access to Jobs for State’s Nurses

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

LIVE! — TOWN HALL ON RACISM AND ITS IMPACT — THURS. 11.14.24 5PM PST

Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST

Published

5 days ago

November 12, 2024

Oakland Post

Discussion Topics:
• Since the pandemic, what battles have the NAACP fought nationally, and how have they impacted us locally?
• What trends are you seeing concerning Racism? Is it more covert or overt?
• What are the top 5 issues resulting from racism in our communities?
• How do racial and other types of discrimination impact local communities?
• What are the most effective ways our community can combat racism and hate?

Your questions and comments will be shared LIVE with the moderators and viewers during the broadcast.

STREAMED LIVE!
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/PostNewsGroup
YOUTUBE: youtube.com/blackpressusatv
X: twitter.com/blackpressusa

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

Pamela Price Appoints Deputy D.A. Jennifer Kassan as New Director of Community Support Bureau

On Monday, District Attorney Pamela Price announced Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Kassan as the new director of the Community Support Bureau. Kassan has over 25 years of experience as an attorney and advisor for mission-driven enterprises including benefit corporations, low-profit limited liability companies, nonprofits, cooperatives, hybrid organizations, investment funds, and purpose trusts.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Kassan. Courtesy photo.

Special to The Post

On Monday, District Attorney Pamela Price announced Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Kassan as the new director of the Community Support Bureau.

Kassan has over 25 years of experience as an attorney and advisor for mission-driven enterprises including benefit corporations, low-profit limited liability companies, nonprofits, cooperatives, hybrid organizations, investment funds, and purpose trusts.

Working in the DA’s new administration since 2023, Kassan was most recently assigned to the Organized Retail Theft Prosecution team.

Kassan has a master’s degree in City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley. She received a National Science Foundation Fellowship from Yale Law School, and graduated from Yale Law School in 1995. She earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor emphasis in Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley.

Kassan’s education, extensive legal background, list of notable accomplishments and impressive resume includes helping to found and lead multiple organizations to support community wealth building including:

Community Ventures, a nonprofit organization that promotes locally-based community economic development,
the Sustainable Economies Law Center, a nonprofit that provides legal information, training, and representation to support sustainable economies
the Force for Good Fund, a nonprofit impact investment fund
Crowdfund Main Street, a licensed portal for regulation crowdfunding
Opportunity Main Street, a place-based ecosystem building organization that supports under-represented entrepreneurs and provides education about community-based investing.

In addition, Kassan served as an elected member of the City Council of Fremont, California from 2018 to 2024, and on the Securities and Exchange Commission Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies.

In 2020 she was named to the list of World-Changing Women in Conscious Business by SOCAP Global.

“We are excited to see Jenny accept the role as the new leader for the Community Support Bureau,” said Price. “She brings a wealth of talent, experience, and a vision to expand our office’s engagement with community groups and residents, that will level-up our

outreach programs and partnerships with local organizations with the aim of promoting crime prevention.

“We thank Interim CSB Director Esther Lemus, who is now assigned to our office’s

Restitution Unit, for her hard work and a great job fostering positive relationships between the DAO and the community.”