Abdul Jalil Al-Saadawi

In my childhood, I faced the cruel dilemma of sacrificing certain rights to attain others due to my disability. Yet, as time progressed, I learned the art of claiming all my rights.

My name is Abdul Jalil Al-Saadawi, and I am a human rights activist and advocate for the rights of people with disabilities.

Upon finally gaining admission to school after years of being educated at home, it came at the price of relinquishing the right to join my classmates during recess, for the school deemed itself incapable of managing the responsibility of a disabled individual.

At that time, my desire to defend the rights of those with disabilities was born. I pursued the study of Law and graduated with distinction, aspiring to carve out my deserved place in society. However, the journey proved more challenging than anticipated, for my academic achievements were seldom acknowledged without a mention of my disability and health.

Yet, my determination to secure my rights and defend those with disabilities never wavered. I filed a warrant to the district attorney's office to reopen the ‘muscular dystrophy patients ' case after it had been neglected for over 20 years. Fortuitously, I was appointed to lead this cause at the Department of Support and Development Medical Services. I worked tirelessly to aid patients, arranging and managing the arrival of doctors from Italy to diagnose and treat them, all at the government’s expense. Libya thus became the pioneering country in North Africa to provide treatment for muscular dystrophy.

In 2017, I shared my story at TedEx Misrata, which led to establishing my own office in 2020, serving as a notary at Misrata’s Court of Appeal. A year later, I was honored as part of the "40 under 40" initiative and became a featured host on numerous news channels, narrating my tale.

And I’ll continue telling it, pursuing to defend the rights of those with disabilities. My journey has imparted a vital lesson: never surrender your rights and raise the loudest voice to demand them.