Women’s rights activist Mahnoor Omer took the State to court in September with her petition challenging the imposition of taxes on menstrual products which penalise women for “a biological function over which they have no control”. Her efforts have landed her among a group of 16 activists, artists, athletes and businesswomen who have been recognised as TIME’s Women of the Year for 2026.
She joins fellow incredible women such as Oscar-nominated filmmaker Chloe Zhao and Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
According to her profile in the magazine, Omer’s activism started early. She started the Noor Foundation at just 14 years old, running workshops educating girls in villages about topics ranging from sexual education to climate change.
At 16, a conversation about the price of menstrual products led her to discover just how sparsely they were used in the country — only around 12 per cent of women in Pakistan use products such as sanitary pads and tampons.
That realisation led the now 25-year-old activist to petition the Lahore High Court to declare feminine hygiene products ‘essential goods’ and remove the 40pc tax burden on their retail prices.
In her petition, Omer argued the taxes placed were “inherently discriminatory” and a violation or Articles 9 (Security of person), 14 (Inviolability of dignity), 25 (Equality of citizens) and 38 (Promotion of social and economic well being of the people) of the Constitution of Pakistan.
Period poverty — the lack of accessibility to hygiene, waste management and education relating menstruation — the petition claimed, is causing girls to miss school, making women stay out of the workforce and leading to increased instances to urinary tract infections in women.
In a post acknowledging her recognition by the magazine, Omer said she was “deeply grateful for this honour”. She said she hoped “this recognition reflects the limitless potential of Pakistani women” and 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.”
The activist pledged to “live up to my promise to challenge injustice whenever and however I can, and to use my platform with courage and purpose”.
Omer is one of a number of activists campaigning for feminine hygiene products to be declared essential goods and exempted from taxation. A few weeks after her petition, Karachi resident Alisha Shabbir filed a similar petition in the Sindh High Court.
Another prominent name in making menstrual care accessible to all is Bushra Mahnoor, the founder of Mahwari Justice. Her organisation helps provide feminine hygiene products and awareness to women in impoverished areas, notably contributing to the provision of such items to women impacted by floods in 2022 and 2025.
