​A Magazine Is Charging Men More For Its Most Recent Issue

A Canadian magazine is taking a daring step in protest against wage inequality by asking men to pay 26 percent more for their copy. That's the additional amount that men are paid on average compared to women.

Maclean's magazine, one of the longest-running news publications in Canada, will be available to women for $6.99 Canadian, while it will set men back $8.81.

There will be two different covers, each highlighting how much the magazine should cost dependent on the gender of the purchaser. Customers will actually be able to choose to pay either price as they wish.

The extra C$1.82 raised on each copy of the men's version will go to Indspire, a First Nations charity, who will use the funds to create a scholarship for Indigenous Canadian women.

Many leading Canadians joined in on Twitter in support of the initiative.

Tabitha Southey, a Maclean's columnist, tweeted: "Very clever and an important story, well told. The difference in price will go to the Indigenous-led charity @Indspire, which invests in Indigenous education, towards a scholarship for Indigenous woman. #PayEquity now, please."

Meanwhile, Canadian diplomat Ulric Shannon wrote: "A very creative way to demonstrate the need for pay equity: Canada's @macleans magazine charges men a higher price for this week's issue. Because a 26 percent pay gap is not acceptable in 2018."

WATCH: ARCHIVE FOOTAGE OF BATMAN'S GENDER PAY GAP AD

This is not the first time such schemes have tried to highlight the extensive gender pay gap. A Melbourne cafe made the news last year by charging men 18 percent more to eat there, reflecting the pay gap in Australia.

"All we really wanted was to raise awareness and start conversations about the gender gap," said Belle Ngien, the cafe manager, at the time to CNN.

They, too, collected the excess and donated it to women's charities. Ms Ngien noted that, in the time that the cafe has been open, no man has ever complained about the extra price that they were asked to pay.

German women often celebrate Equal Pay Day, a holiday that marks the day on which women start being paid the same as men.

The count begins at the start of January and Equal Pay Day is celebrated on the first day that women get paid.

It differs depending on the country in question but is usually in mid-March in Germany, roughly 20 percent of the way through the year.

Topics: World News, Canada

Mike Wood

Mike Meehall Wood is a freelance journalist and translator. He writes for LADbible, VICE and countless sports publications, focusing on rugby league, football and boxing. He is a graduate of Leeds University and maintains a fizzy pop obsession. Contact Mike at [email protected]