A Vegan (lol) Cafe in The land down under is causing a stir by charging a surtax of 18% if you’re a guy to address “the gender pay gap”.
“The Handsom Her” Owner Alex (female) O’Brien says “I do want people to think about it, because we’ve had this (pay discrepancy) for decades and decades and we’re bringing it to the forefront of people’s minds.
“I like that it is making men stop and question their privilege a little bit.”
Men are asked to pay 18 percent more than women, but owner Alex O’Brien told the Mail the tax is optional. Thus far, O’Brien said nobody has refused to pay.
“If men don’t want to pay it, we’re not going to kick them out the door. It’s just an opportunity to do some good,” O’Brien told the Daily Mail.
Customers at the ‘100% plant based’ cafe – which also refuses to use disposable coffee cups, handing out mugs instead – were enthusiastic about the rule.
‘I think it’s fair if you think about the world and the gender inequality that we have,’ said one female customer.
‘I think it’s a brilliant idea because I don’t think many people actually know the actual gap,’ said another.
‘We’re bringing it [the gender pay gap] to the forefront of people’s minds. I like that it is making men stop and question their privilege a little bit,’ O’Brien said.
‘One of my friends who works for a not-for-profit women’s service was talking about the pay gap and I thought it was a good idea, so we decided that one week every month we would charge men an 18 per cent premium, which we will donate.’
Though not everyone is on board with the idea, viewing it as bias and bigoted.
‘Well and truly discrimination. All female staff. Well and truly illegal if you discriminate against a gender when hiring!’ wrote one Twitter user.