LSE student named a TIME Woman of the Year

LSE postgraduate student Mahnoor Omer has been named a TIME Woman of the Year among a cohort of 16 women who are working to make the world a more equitable and just place.

Omer, who is studying for an MSc in Gender, Peace and Security in the Gender Studies Department at LSE, achieved recognition for her activism around period products in Pakistan, where taxes can add an extra 40% to the retail price. The additional cost puts them out of reach for many women and girls, with serious consequences for their health and education.

In 2025 Omer took the government of Pakistan to court to challenge its “period tax.” The case had its first hearing at the end of 2025 and is now awaiting a response.

Omer’s activism long predates last year’s legal challenge. A law graduate and human rights lawyer, she started The Noor Foundation when she was a teenager where she worked with women and children to assist with access to education and to alleviate period poverty. As a women's rights activist she has been involved in organising the Women's March in Islamabad for the last six years and shares videos on Instagram relating to women's gender justice, freedom of expression and more, under the handle @learningwithmahnoor.

Commenting on being named a TIME woman of the year, Mahnoor said: "I feel deeply honoured and proud. I remember making my own version of TIME for my mother’s 40th birthday, where I named her ‘Person of the Year’. Never did I imagine that one day I would see my own name and photo in TIME. Moments like this remind me of the limitless potential of Pakistani women. More than anything, this recognition strengthens my resolve to use my voice with courage and purpose, to stand against injustice in whatever way I can, whether it's social media, the courtroom or the road to protest."

Mahnoor also reflected on her experience as an LSE student, saying: "I have learned so much during my MSc in Gender, Peace and Security at the LSE. The programme has strengthened both my confidence and clarity, I now feel far more equipped in the language I use in my projects and in the theories I can meaningfully apply in my future work as a practitioner. I am incredibly grateful to my teachers for their guidance. With a few months still left in the programme, I am genuinely excited for all that I will continue to learn in the weeks ahead."

Read the TIME article here.