I’ve never really understood why things as simple as razors had to be gendered. As seen in the photos, the first razor is bright pink and labeled “for women”. When I searched for the men’s version of the razor, the dark blue and grey one appeared (all the images of the razors were either grey, blue, or some other neutral color). Both items serve the same purpose: to remove unwanted hair. Why does it matter if a man or a woman is purchasing it? And who’s to say that a woman wants her razor to be pink?
From birth, society associates pink with being a “girly” color, and anything that is associated with girls/women is viewed as less than. Gender is assigned to things as insignificant as small objects to separate men and women, which reinforces the idea that there are certain products for men and certain products for women. Granted, some products can only be used by one gender (for example, pads or tampons are only of use to women), but most things that serve the same purpose, like the razors above, are gendered unnecessarily. As Lorber mentions in her writing, “gender is one of the major ways that human beings organize their lives.” It is true that humans need organization, but when it comes to assumptions and discrimination based on gender stereotypes, a line has been crossed. No child or adult should feel that they can’t have a certain opportunity because of their sex. Gender is somewhat necessary as a means of organization, but by gendering everyday objects, society has turned it into a limitation.