Maclean’s Charges Men 26% More Than Women for its Latest Issue

By Christian Nathler
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Maclean’s magazine has taken a cheeky approach in addressing Canada’s gender pay gap.

The Canadian monthly is charging men 26% more than women for its latest issue. Ladies can pick up a copy for the regular price of $6.99, while gentlemen will be charged $8.81.

“We’ve made two covers with different prices,” reads the front page of both issues. “One for women and one for men. The prices reflect the shocking 26 per cent pay equity gap that still exists in Canada. The content is exactly the same – just like the work that men and women do.”

It’s a pretty fantastic move, though it didn’t garner universal praise…

To mute the opinion expression above, Maclean’s isn’t actually making men pay more for their product. The magazine clarifies that readers can choose to pay whichever cover price they want, and that “setting a two-tiered magazine price for men and women reduces the complexity of gender.” The extra $1.82 per issue from men who choose to pay more will be donated to “those for whom the pay gap is most extreme.” One beneficiary will be Indspire, an Indigenous-led charity that invests in the education of Indigenous people.

Maclean’s hopes that headlines like this start a snowball effect in drawing mainstream attention to the gender pay gap. “After years of stasis, pay equity is having its moment as the next beat in the cadence of the #MeToo movement,” wrote the magazine. “Our hope is that these dual covers stir the kind of urgent conversation here that is already happening elsewhere around the world.”

By the looks of it, that hope has already been well received…