Wages lower, prices higher for women?

You've heard about the gender pay gap?

The reasons are open to debate, but women generally receive lower pay for the same work -- even Hillary Clinton paid women on her staff 72 cents for every dollar the male employees got in her Senate office.

But the disparity doesn't end there, according to the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs.

Comparing the male and female versions of nearly 800 products of 90 brands sold online and in two dozen New York City stores, the agency found that, on average, products for women cost 7 percent more than similar products for men.

Across the entire sample, women's products were priced higher 42 percent of the time.

New York City is often accused of meddling in consumer preferences, from the size of sodas to trans fats to plastic foam packaging.

But it's hard to argue with some of the findings of the gender pricing study.

For example, a Radio Flyer My 1st Scooter in red for boys listed for $24.99, while an identical version in pink went for $49.99 in the same store.

A short-sleeved uniform shirt listed at $10.95, on sale for $5.47, while an identical women's shirt listed at $12.95, on sale for $7.77. Men's Levi jeans, $68; women's $88. A pack of five-bladed disposable razors for women, $18.49, for men, $14.99.

Supply and demand naturally play a part, as do price of ingredients for women's personal care products, etc., but those don't go far enough to explain the differences.

Across the five industries analyzed, women were charged seven percent more for toys and children's accessories, four percent more for children's clothing, eight percent more for adult clothing, 13 percent more for personal care items, and eight percent more for home healthcare products. In all but five of the 35 product categories analyzed, products for female consumers were priced higher than those for male consumers.

New York City actually passed a law requiring posted prices to distinguish between prices based on actual differences that would require more labor -- such as ruffles and pleats that women's clothing include.

Over the last two years, the city has issued about 250 violations for gender pricing for services at laundries, dry cleaners, hair and nail salons and shoe repair stores.

Local and federal governments shouldn't go that far.

But perhaps women should consider simply buying men's products when possible.

Read the study here.