Monday, 25 May 2026
Egypt shares model for empowering persons with disabilities at conference
New York – During a special roundtable at the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties (COSP18) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Dr. Iman Kareem, General Supervisor of Egypt’s National Council for Persons with Disabilities, presented Egypt’s latest achievements in empowering people with disabilities.
Dr. Kareem highlighted Egypt’s strong commitment to disability inclusion by building a thorough legislative and institutional infrastructure. This includes the founding of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, the enactment of the Disability Rights Law, and the establishment of the "Qaderoon Bekhtelaf" Fund, with a substantial allocation of 15 billion Egyptian pounds to support the inclusion and empowerment of people with disabilities across the nation.
Egypt has taken significant steps to improve the quality of life and social equity for people with disabilities. Nearly 1.3 million people benefit from the conditional cash assistance program “Karama,” which receives almost 11 billion Egyptian pounds annually. Last year alone, over 13,500 individuals with disabilities received affordable housing loans exceeding 1 billion pounds, and 5% of new public housing projects are reserved for this group.
On the economic front, Egypt has created 37,500 job opportunities for people with disabilities. Programs such as “Forsa” have empowered 1,350 beneficiaries, and the initiative “Misr Bekom Agmal” has trained and employed 2,500 people so far.
The Council has launched many initiatives to support entrepreneurs with disabilities, organizing 720 fairs that helped approximately 18,000 business owners. Training in digital marketing, entrepreneurship, and handicrafts has further enhanced opportunities for self-employment and traditional crafts.
Financial inclusion is also a priority: 10,000 people have benefited from training on banking services and financial accessibility. Collaborative job fairs with private and civic sectors have connected thousands of people with disabilities to new employment opportunities.
Dr. Kareem emphasized integrating disability rights into national development strategies and announced that a comprehensive National Disability Strategy is under development. She stressed that innovative financing and investing in social development are delivering tangible results in empowering people with disabilities.
She concluded by reaffirming Egypt’s dedication to building a fairer and more inclusive society for everyone. She made several key recommendations, including:
- Promoting international cooperation to share best practices in innovative financing,
- Creating strategic partnerships with international financial institutions,
- Supporting global initiatives for the financial inclusion of persons with disabilities.
With these ongoing efforts, Egypt continues to set an example in championing the rights and empowerment of people with disabilities.