Periods Are Not a Penalty: March With us on 26th May
Because no girl should pay a tax just for bleeding.
You’ve probably heard us say it before: periods are powerful. But what you might not know is they’re still being penalised. Literally. In 2025. In the UK.
So on Monday 26th May, we’re taking it to the streets.
Join WUKA for a march and rally in London to demand an end to the unfair 20% VAT on period swimwear and sportswear. We did it once (after five long years of fighting to remove the tax on period pants), and we’re doing it again. Because this isn’t just about tax. It’s about equality, dignity, and access.
👉 RSVP now on Eventbrite
📍 All the details are on the event page. You in?
Why we’re marching
We’re calling this campaign “Periods Are Not a Penalty”, and it’s deeply personal.
Over the past 7 years of building WUKA, we’ve seen just how broken the system is when it comes to women’s health. And now, despite winning one major battle, period-proof swimwear and sportswear are still being taxed as luxury items - while men’s incontinence products? Zero-rated.
Make it make sense.
Here’s what the numbers say:
- 46% of girls have had their participation in sport or swimming negatively affected by their period.
- 51% worry about leaking during sport.
- 69% lack confidence to swim on their period.
- 71% avoid sport altogether during their period.
- 43% of girls drop out of sport after primary school.
- 1 in 3 kids leave primary school unable to swim.
So let’s be crystal clear:
This tax is a barrier.
To movement. To confidence. To joy.
And no one should pay the government to manage their period.
What we’re fighting for
We’re calling on the government to remove the 20% VAT from period-proof swimwear and sportswear, starting with our WUKA Perform Collection - gear that’s designed specifically to keep menstruating people moving, whether it’s laps in the pool or goals on the pitch.
Our Perform Period Swimwear and Perform Sports Shorts are designed with leak-proof technology to give girls and women the confidence to participate - without fear, shame or the need for disposable products.
But the tax? That’s saying this freedom is a luxury.
We’re saying: enough.
Here’s how you can help
💥 March with us on 26th May. Come with your friends, your family, your signs, your stories. Let's raise our voices—and make it loud enough that no one can ignore it.
💥 Sign the petition to scrap the tax here. We need your name on it. Every single one counts.
💥 Share this post wide and far. Seriously. Stories, reposts, group chats, school boards, WhatsApp aunties. The more people who know, the more pressure we apply.
💥 Wear your WUKA Perform if you’re joining the march. It’s not just protest wear—it’s power wear.
Let’s march for the girls missing out on swimming lessons.
For the teens skipping PE.
For the women sidelined by stigma.
Let’s march for change.
Because periods are not a penalty. And we won't stop until the system stops punishing us for having them.
See you there.
