RASC News Agency: Benafshah Yaqoubi, a former member of the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission, along with 11 other women, has succeeded in winning the “Brave Women” award for 2024 from the U.S. Department of State. The U.S. Department of State announced on Friday, Mar 1, that this award will be presented to Benafshah Yaqoubi on March 4th.
In the statement, Yaqoubi has been highlighted as a women’s rights advocate who has been actively defending the rights of women facing violence for several years. Yaqoubi, who is visually impaired herself, founded the “Rahyab Organization” in 2008 with her husband to provide education and empowerment to visually impaired individuals in Afghanistan. According to a statement from the U.S. Department of State, Yaqoubi focused more on educating visually impaired children during her tenure at the Human Rights Commission.
The statement further noted that this human rights activist is currently in exile but is still recognized as a tireless advocate for disabled citizens of Afghanistan. The U.S. Department of State’s International Women of Courage Award has been presented since 2017 to courageous and powerful women who demonstrate exceptional leadership in defending peace, justice, human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment.
In Afghanistan, under the Taliban’s rule, women and girls have been deprived of their most fundamental rights, with doors to schools and universities closed to them by this group.
