Born and raised in a rural town miles away from London, Laura Coryton never imagined the massive impact she could create in the world of feminism and discrimination. However, while studying international relations at Goldsmiths, she came across an unfair practice that demanded her attention: taxes on menstrual hygiene products that are subsequently discriminatory to the product’s users.
With low expectations but a driving motivation for success, she started an online campaign to abolish these unfair taxes on period products, something she’d later dub the “tampon tax.” “I never thought anyone would sign my petition. They did! It soon gathered hundreds of signatures, and that’s when I realized change is possible,” Coryton said. “We can all be the change we want to see.” What began as a small petition with big dreams quickly snowballed into a massive success. For seven years, Coryton tirelessly campaigned, spreading awareness of this discriminatory tax through politicians, journalists, local lobbying groups, and schools. With over 300,000 signatures, the UK finally axed the tax on period products in January of 2021.
“This showed me the power we have to make changes. However, we discovered something we weren’t expecting,” Coryton said. While visiting schools as part of her campaign, she observed a massive issue in the stigma and the general lack of education surrounding sexual education. “Often, students would tell me they hadn’t learnt what menstruation was before they started their first period so they thought they were dying. Others would say they don’t have access to period products and so skip school every month,” Coryton said. “I knew I had to do something to change this.”
Through these stories of lived experience, Coryton realized how the stigma attached to periods often existed in relation to many other sex education topics. Furthermore, sex education in schools was often reduced to biology, ignoring the real social and political realities placed upon students. This was the beginning of Sex Ed Matters, a social enterprise founded in 2019, dedicated to ending sex and relationship taboos in UK schools through workshops, talks, and improved sex education curriculums, especially after the UK’s new implementation of mandatory sex education within the school curriculum in 2020.
“I’ve always been interested in both doing something socially impactful and making money, as a form of feminism. Often we think we can’t do both, but personally I think this is because [women] are taught…’soft’ skills like caring for others and doing the moral thing,” Coryton said. “As a feminist, I think it’s important to make sure socially positive initiatives also generate revenue so they can be done as sustainably, professionally and effectively as possible.”
The organization, which she runs with her twin sister Julia, is designed to help schools deliver political and social aspects of the new UK sex education curriculum, specializing in period education, consent, and LGBT rights. In 2023, she won the UK’s £12,000 Young Innovator Award, went into full time work on her enterprise, and joined a community of social entrepreneurs through Yunus and Youth.
“Initially it felt really scary and lonely. At this very early stage, I thought I would benefit a lot from the community of social entrepreneurs which this programme offers and the mentorship opportunities,” Coryton said, describing her experience within the Yunus and Youth program. “It’s been wonderful! I feel really supported and more able to make change than ever before. In particular, my mentors are really keen to help and I’ve made a really close bond with them.
A year later in 2024, Coryton’s journey is far from over. She won £50,000 from the UK’s Unlocking Potential Award, continuing to empower young people at high profile events, including London Labour’s Equalities Conference, Harvard University, and Women of the World Festival in London. As of this past April, she became the Labour Party candidate for Richmond Park, and almost doubled Labour’s vote share in the constituency.
As a final piece of advice, Coryton emphasizes her reliance on mentors, guidance, and support from others in her entrepreneurial journey: “Please reach out to those you admire…you will gain a lot from this connection. Get comfortable feeling uncomfortable because the entrepreneurial journey is one FULL of growth and evolution. Enjoy it because it’s magical.”
Coryton started her journey in the small town of Shoreham, East Sussex, and now her impacts have reached countries all over the world. In just around a decade, she’s solidified her roles as an author, feminist activist, campaigner, political candidate, and social entrepreneur. “The most important thing I’ve learnt is that we really can be the change we want to see,” Coryton said. “Anything is possible. We just need the courage to trust our vision and the confidence to make it a reality.”
