Activist lawyer Mahnoor Omer has made it big, as she has been listed as a honoree on TIME Magazine’s 2026 Women of the Year list. The list recognised sixteen women for their work towards a better, more equitable world. Sharing the news on Instagram, Mahnoor thanked her mother for being her greatest support. She also thanked her co-petitioner, Ahsan Jehangir Khan, for joining her journey against period taxes in Pakistan.
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Finding it her obligation to become the voice of many Pakistani women, Mahnoor took Pakistan’s government to court regarding the ‘period tax’ through a petition in September, 2025. Later in the year, the plea was heard and now awaits a decision. The period tax adds 40 per cent to the retail price of sanitary pads and tampons. This makes it a necessity away from a woman’s reach, where, according to UNICEF, only 12 per cent of women use sanitary pads or tampons. The rest rely on cloth, putting their lives at risk due to hygiene and health risks. Mahnoor states that in villages, these products are not sold because of their high prices.
Currently, Mahnoor is earning her master’s degree in gender, peace, and security at the London School of Economics and working towards gender rights in Pakistan through her non-profit organisation, Noor Foundation.
