Growing up in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and spending eight years as a refugee in Pakistan were both instrumental in shaping one woman’s journey as a life saver for journalists who found themselves in Afghanistan after the American military withdrew in August, 2021.
York Master’s student Robina Aryubwal and Journalists for Human Rights are joint recipients of PEN Canada’s 2024 Marie-Ange Garrigue Prize. The award recognizes a Canadian individual or organization that has provided significant help to a writer or journalist outside Canada who has faced threats, violence, harassment, or imprisonment for reporting or commenting on issues of public interest.
Together, Aryubwal and Journalists for Human Rights helped more than 500 people find safety and a fresh start from the embattled country.
“The greatest joy in the world comes from helping others,” Aryubwal said. “There’s something profoundly fulfilling about being there for someone in need, whether it’s through offering support, sharing knowledge, or simply listening to them.”
Aryubwal grew up in Afghanistan under the Taliban. She remembers having a life-defining moment one New Year’s Eve when she was 10 or 11. While everyone was celebrating, she said, she stayed to assist a woman who worked for her mother who had become very sick.
“I stayed by her side. I may not have been able to do much to help,” she said, “but the comfort I gave her meant the world to her. That night, I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to helping others.”
A photo of Robina Aryubwal
She once asked her mother how she can help people better, and she said, ‘Through education’, was her mother’s response.
Growing up in Afghanistan she saw how difficult life could be, particularly for girls—they were not allowed to go to school. Her family refused to accept that and started an underground school for women, teaching them in secret.
A photo of Robina Aryubwal and her family at the airport
“That experience taught me the power of education and the importance of standing up for what’s right, even when it’s dangerous,” Aryubwal said.
In 2021, when the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, the fear returned. Brave people—journalists, teachers and human rights defenders—were suddenly, once again, in grave danger. It was around that time that she was introduced to Rachel Pulfer by Carol Off. At the time Pulfer was the executive director of Journalists for Human Rights.
“I signed my first contract for a week, which soon became a month, and then I worked with Journalists for Human Rights for almost three years,” Aryubwal said.
Journalists for Human Rights immediately launched an emergency evacuation effort when the Taliban regained control of Kabul. In the first week Pulfer mobilized key donors and coalition members and raised $600,000 for the emergency evacuation fund. The fund eventually grew to $2 million.
“Every life we helped save felt like a small victory in a world full of fear,” she said. “This award is a reminder of those victories. It’s not just for me—it’s for every person who has shown bravery in the face of danger, every family forced to flee, and every girl who still dreams of a better future despite the challenges she faces.”
Aryubwal knows the fear that people face, as well as their pain and their hope. “Because I have lived it,” she said.
This work has meant so much to her, not just because of the lives that were saved, but because they also gave people hope and showed them they were not alone.
She said her life experience was one of the forces that kept driving her forward. As a little girl she lived under the rule of the Taliban, and she thought it was terrible. Following that she spent eight long years as a refugee in Pakistan—which was an incredibly hard journey. After eight years of trying, the family made it to Canada, where Aryubwal resumed her education. She is currently studying a Master’s degree in Public and International Affairs (MPIA) at York.
“Every moment was filled with fear and pain.” Aryubwal said she didn’t want other families to suffer what she and her family suffered. That became her motivation to keep pushing forward.
She said she chose the MPIA graduate program because she was captivated by its interdisciplinary, bilingual approach and commitment to blending theory with hands-on experience to address complex global challenges.
“My future goal is to drive impactful policy changes that promote equity, justice and sustainable development through a career in an international organization or governmental agency,” said Aryubwal, “leveraging my passion for humanitarian work to create a better world.”