Bloomberg Businessweek The Double Tax: How Women of Color Are Overcharged and Underpaid
Mar 16, 2026
Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, a Harvard researcher and author, explores the “double tax” of compounded racism and sexism. She outlines how added costs touch housing, childcare, pay, caregiving and retirement. Short, sharp conversations cover data methods, economic consequences, policy fixes and community actions.
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Double Tax Means Pink Tax Plus Access Costs
- The double tax is the pink tax plus extra barriers shaped by racism and sexism.
- Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman describes needing to drive 45 minutes to buy her hair products as an example of added cost and limited access.
Ignoring One Group Creates Economywide Costs
- The double tax is a neighborhood fire that spreads economic costs beyond the affected group.
- Anna warns higher unemployment among Black women and mothers produces spillovers that hurt the whole economy over time.
Combine Policy Community And Individual Actions
- Fixing the double tax requires a mix of policies, community action, and individual choices.
- Anna cites child tax credits, childcare access, housing subsidies, and coordinated community efforts as parts of the solution.
