On 3 December 2024, the Rahyab Initiative marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities by convening a global virtual event that called for urgent, concrete action to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian and peacebuilding efforts.

The event brought together international human rights leaders, journalists, and disability rights activists to spotlight the critical need for the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities at all levels of programme design, implementation, and decision-making.

Speakers—including Benafsha Yaqoobi (Rahyab founder), Richard Bennett (UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan), Tonni Ann Brodber (UN Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund), and Sawsan Abou Zainedin (Madaniya CEO)—underscored the responsibility of Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to meet their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The event sent a strong message: meaningful inclusion is essential not only to protect rights but also to reshape global perceptions of the leadership and contributions of persons with disabilities in building more just, peaceful, and resilient societies.

Read more about the event: https://therahyabinitiative.org/news-and-events-1/f/commemorating-the-international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities