No Seat? We Built Our Own

By Abigail Eyo

In too many regions, the message is clear: “Girls with disabilities are meaningless; they don’t deserve a seat at the table." 

Wait… what? 

If that sentence made your stomach turn, good. Because for too long, that’s exactly how society has treated our sisters. But earlier this month in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire, 200 of us from 25 countries gathered at the Adolescent Girls Summit (AGS) 2026 to prove the world dead wrong.

As a Junior Board Member at Girl Rising, I’ve seen advocacy in many forms, but this wasn't just a meeting. It was a youth-led takeover. 

In this post, I’m pulling back the curtain on how we turned four days of raw energy into a 2026–2028 Action Plan. I’ll show you how we are moving from "resilience" to a concrete roadmap that demands the world finally counts us all in. 

The shock of that first sentence died the second I saw Aisata, a young girl living with a disability, take the stage and dance with a joy so fierce the entire room went silent. It was a raw act of defiance against every barrier meant to keep us small, and I can still see her proud, triumphant smile as she claimed that stage. I carried that energy straight into the social media sessions I helped lead with the GFC Comms team. At Girl Rising, we’re obsessed with the power of a girl's story, but we weren’t just teaching "content creation" for likes. We were handing these girls digital hammers to break down the walls society had built around them. 

But you can’t lead a revolution if you’re fighting for your basic dignity. We moved from the "inspiration" of Day 1 into the grit of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) rights on Day 2. I watched our team split across the floor for the debates in English and French, standing our ground on why Comprehensive Sexuality Education isn’t just a health topic, it’s a prerequisite for leadership. We even spent time learning sign language together. It was a practical, humbling reminder that if our vision of justice doesn't include every single girl, including those with disabilities, then it isn't justice; it’s just another exclusive club. 

By the time we hit Day 3, we shifted from policy to the physical beauty of Côte d'Ivoire. Touring the Basilica of Peace and the Crocodile Lake wasn't just a break; it was the "innovation" part of our theme. It was where the bonds were actually formed, where girls from Liberia, Ghana, and Nigeria stopped being "delegates" and started being sisters. That cultural exchange gave us the energy to face the UN Ambassadors and Ministers on the final day.

We weren't just presenting a "plan"; we were presenting a vision for the next three years. Our 2026–2028 Action Plan is a non-negotiable demand for radical inclusion, access to youth-friendly mental health services, and the promotion of healthy masculinity. We made it clear to the world leaders in the room that we require flexible funding and safe spaces to grow our own youth-led initiatives on our own terms. 

That intensity is what made the Gala Night so emotional. It was more than a party; it was the moment the world finally had to acknowledge the work we’d done. Seeing my team and my peers receive awards for our contributions to gender justice was the perfect full-circle moment, overflowing with tears of joy, the perfect reminder that when we lead, the world has no choice but to notice. 

At Girl Rising, we believe a girl’s voice can change her world. In Yamoussoukro, I saw that voice turn into a roadmap. The AGS 2026 was never our final destination; it is the launchpad for everything we do next. Now, the real work begins. 

Are you ready to be counted in?