Mrs Hy Somaly is a Bunong Indigenous woman from Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia. She currently lives in Meanleap Village, Sokdom Sangkat, Senmonorom City, Mondulkiri. Her life story reflects strong determination and resilience in overcoming challenges to pursue education and improve her life, family, and community.

She began her primary education at Senmonorom Primary School from 1986 to 1990 and continued her lower secondary education at Rasmey 7 January Lower Secondary School from 1991 to 1993. Due to the lack of high schools in Mondulkiri at that time, she had to travel to Phnom Penh to continue her studies, but she never gave up on her education.

From 1997 to 1999, Mrs Somaly completed primary teacher training at the Regional Teacher Training Centre in Stung Treng. After graduating, she started her career as a primary school teacher, gaining valuable experience in educating children and developing her teaching skills.

From 2006 to 2010, she pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Law at the Cambodian University for Peace (CUP) in Phnom Penh. Despite financial difficulties and living far from her family, she continued her studies while volunteering and doing internships with various organisations to gain work experience.

Currently, Mrs Somaly works with the Community Legal Education Centre (CLEC), where she focuses on strengthening the capacity of commune and sangkat councils and Indigenous communities, particularly in resolving disputes outside the court system. She supports communities to understand legal rights, resolve conflicts, and encourages local authorities to participate effectively in community dispute resolution.

Mrs Somaly is dedicated to supporting Indigenous communities because they are often vulnerable and lack sufficient knowledge about legal rights and laws. She believes that empowering Indigenous people with legal knowledge is essential for protecting their land, resources, and community development.

She is a role model for Indigenous women and girls, demonstrating that perseverance, education, and self-confidence can change lives. Mrs Somaly encourages young Indigenous women to pursue higher education, develop professional skills, learn foreign languages, and become financially independent.