Whether it is shaving cream, a t-shirt or a children's toy — chances are, the "male" version of a product is cheaper than the one aimed at women.

Now, consumers are calling out retailers for "gender pricing", after a recent study found women's products cost, on average, 7 per cent more than similar products for men.

The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), who conducted the study, have initiated a social media campaign to push for fairer pricing.

Consumers have been encouraged to tweet "examples of gender pricing and fair pricing" using the hashtag #genderpricing in an effort to publicise the issue.

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Walmart and Target are among the companies that have been named, while other consumers have expressed their disbelief at the price difference between male and female shaving products.

The push comes just a day after consumer advocacy group Choice warned Australian shoppers to be wary of sexist pricing policies this Christmas in light of a new report showing women pay more than men for products including clothing, stationery and even chocolate.

The DCA study compared the male and female versions of almost 800 products from more than 90 brands sold across New York City.

A variety of industries were included in the study, from personal care products to children's toys, which the authors said reflects "an average consumer lifecycle ... providing a glimpse into the experiences of consumers of all ages".

There was most discrepancy between men's and women's personal care products, which the authors said "translates into a significant financial burden for women" because these products "are purchased at a higher frequency" than many other consumer goods.

The research also found that women's products cost more 42 per cent of the time, compared to men's products which cost more just 18 per cent of the time.

According to the study, female-targeted products cost:

7 per cent more for toys and accessories

7 per cent more for toys and accessories 4 per cent more for children's clothing

4 per cent more for children's clothing 8 per cent more for adult clothing

8 per cent more for adult clothing 13 per cent for personal care products

13 per cent for personal care products 8 per cent more for senior/home health care products

The authors said the findings suggested that across the course of their lifetime, women were paying thousands of dollars more than men for similar products.

"Though there may be legitimate drivers behind some portion of the price discrepancies unearthed in this study, these higher prices are mostly unavoidable for women," they wrote.

"Individual consumers do not have control over the textiles or ingredients used in the products marketed to them and must make purchasing choices based only on what is available in the marketplace."