Women’s rights activist Mahnoor Omer has been named among TIME’s Women of the Year for 2026, following her legal challenge of taxation of menstrual hygiene products in Pakistan.

 

Omer is one of 16 women from different fields recognised by the magazine this year. 

 

The list includes Oscar-nominated filmmaker Chloé Zhao and Olympic gold medallist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

 

Reacting to the recognition, Omer said she was “deeply grateful for this honour”. She said she hoped “this recognition reflects the limitless potential of Pakistani women”, adding that “while there is still a long journey ahead in ensuring equal opportunities for all, moments like this remind us of how far we have come and how much further we can go”. 

 

She also said she would “live up to my promise to challenge injustice whenever and however I can, and to use my platform with courage and purpose”.

 

The recognition comes months after Omer filed a petition in the Lahore High Court in September, seeking tax-exempt status for feminine hygiene products. 

 

In her petition, she challenged the imposition of taxes on menstrual products, arguing that such levies penalise women for “a biological function over which they have no control”.

 

Omer asked the court to declare feminine hygiene products as essential goods and to remove the 40 percent tax imposed on their retail prices.  

 

The petition stated that the taxes were “inherently discriminatory” and in violation of Articles 9, 14, 25 and 38 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which relate to security of person, dignity, equality of citizens and the promotion of social and economic wellbeing.

 

The petition further stated that period poverty defined as limited access to menstrual hygiene products, waste management and education related to menstruation leads to girls missing school, women remaining outside the workforce and increased cases of urinary tract infections.

 

According to her profile in the magazine, Omer’s activism began in her early teens. At the age of 14, she founded the Noor Foundation, which runs workshops for girls in villages on topics including sexual education and climate change.

 

At 16, a discussion about the cost of menstrual products led her to examine their usage across the country. She found that only around 12 per cent of women in Pakistan use products such as sanitary pads and tampons, a finding that later shaped her legal challenge.

 

Omer is among several activists campaigning for menstrual hygiene products to be declared essential goods and exempt from taxation. 

Weeks after her petition, Karachi resident Alisha Shabbir filed a similar petition in the Sindh High Court. Separately, Bushra Mahnoor, founder of Mahwari Justice, has worked to provide menstrual hygiene products and awareness to women in low-income areas, including during relief efforts after the floods of 2022 and 2025.