Award-winning journalist Najiba Ayubi is an Afghan journalist and activist for human rights and freedom of the press with over two decades of experience covering news stories in the country. Ms. Ayubi has worked under anonymous threats and attacks from government entities for her reporting on politics and women’s rights. As Managing Director of The Killid Group, she led a team of reporters working in print, broadcast and online media that includes two of the country’s most popular magazines (Killid Weekly and Mursal Weekly) and eleven radio stations with a total of 12 million listeners and about 100 affiliated radios. She refused calls for censorship and is passionate about independent media.

Ms. Ayubi is the co-founder of the Afghan Independent Media Consortium and the Freedom of Expression Initiative, which aim to provide resources and support for independent journalists in her country. In recognition of her courage and 4 contribution, Ms. Ayubi won the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Courage in Journalism Award in 2013.

The Killid Group General Director Najiba Ayubi was included in the first-ever list of 100 information heroes by Reporters Without Borders in 2014. The tireless advocate for freedom of expression, she has been recognized by the Swedish Section of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in its annual Press Freedom prize.

Ms. Ayubi is a specialist in managing all editorials, print materials including (magazines, booklets, brochures, news articles etc.), digital media substances (DHSA/TKG owned websites, social media – Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter) and production and broadcasting of radio programs covering all walks of life. She worked reporting on crimes of war, transitional justice, social protection and domestic violence. Najiba is a well-trained trainer.

She serves as head of the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) Afghanistan chapter. Under Ms. Ayubi’s supervision, a book was created by the IAWRT Afghanistan chapter, (Ahesta Wa Paiwasta (Slowly but Successively) which consists of 20 in-depth interviews with Afghan female journalists. Ms. Ayubi is the author of Shadow in The Dark, expressive stories and realities of life of Afghan women & girls.

She directed a documentary ‘’dar Edama e-Raah (The on-going path)’’ which shows the difficulties facing women journalists in Afghanistan’s 100-year history. Ms. Ayubi holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ebn-e-Sina University and is a graduate of Middle and Top Management Courses from Cranfield University, UK. She is a graduate of the Oslo-Met Certificate Course of Peace Journalism from the University of Oslo.