Fem-invisible: The gender blind spot in Competition Law. A women’s day reflection

Abstract: This article explores the systemic «gender blind spot» within traditional competition law, arguing that while women are central drivers of contemporary economies as consumers and workers, they lack equivalent structural power. This disparity leaves them disproportionately vulnerable to exploitation and the adverse effects of market concentration. The author examines how the «neutral» and «rational» consumer models historically used in antitrust analysis overlook gendered harms, such as price discrimination (the «pink tax»), sexist advertising, and the exclusionary design of essential services.

«By focusing on women’s experiences, feminist scholars adopt a contextualized lens that highlights the embeddedness of markets within broader social, economic, and political structures, emphasizing intersectionality and human diversity.43 Feminist economists and political scientists show how concentrated economic power can reflect structural inequalities and gendered social dynamics».