Slate Business Slate Money | Money Talks: Beyond The Pink Tax
Nov 11, 2025
Join Elizabeth Spiers and Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, a Harvard PhD student and author of "The Double Tax," as they explore the economic barriers faced by women of color. They delve into the compounding effects of the pink tax and discuss how high childbirth and childcare costs impact families. Anna shares insights on the systemic biases affecting housing and the implications of underrepresentation at the Fed. They also propose policy solutions like reparations and child tax credits to address these disparities, emphasizing the need for representation and equity.
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Costs Accumulate Across A Woman's Life
- Anna studies how race and gender combine to make life more expensive for women, starting from early experiences like the first mirror or paycheck.
- Costs layer across life phases, creating systemic barriers especially for women of color.
Shocked By Childbirth And Childcare Costs
- Anna was shocked by the real cost of childbirth and childcare when researching the book and found herself radicalized by the numbers.
- She realized nannies cost about $40,000 a year and hospital bills can exceed $50,000 without insurance.
Personal Cost Of A C-Section
- Elizabeth shared her own experience paying roughly $15,000 out of pocket for a C-section despite expensive insurance.
- She used the example to criticize simplistic calls for higher birth rates without addressing costs.
