MUMBAI: International Women's Day is celebrated every year on March 8. Former Bollywood actress and No More Tears NGO founder, Somy Ali, says the day is a reminder to her about the extraordinary women who have shaped history and those who continue to inspire her.
Talking about these women, she said, "Malala Yousafzai, a girl who defied death for the right to education, now stands as a beacon of hope for millions. She was only 15 when a Taliban gunman boarded her school bus, pointed a gun at her head, and pulled the trigger—all because she dared to say that girls deserve to go to school. Imagine that level of hatred. But what did Malala do? She survived, she fought, and she conquered. She went on to become the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in history, a global advocate for girls’ education, and a living testament to resilience. This is why I am leaving part of my Trust Estate to the Malala Fund—because her fight must continue long after we are gone. If we do not invest in educating girls, we fail the future. This is my legacy. This is my way of ensuring that more Malalas are born, educated, and empowered."
Somy also spoke about Mukhtaran Mai, who was ordered to be gang-raped by a Pakistani tribal council in 2002, as punishment for an alleged transgression by her brother. She was forced to walk home naked through her village, and even her own mother told her to commit suicide.
Somy continued, "The world expected Mukhtaran Mai to disappear—to be swallowed by the silence that engulfs most survivors. But she refused. She did what no one thought possible—she stood up, fought back, and put her rapists in prison. And then she did something even more powerful: she built a school. She understood that justice was not just about her—it was about ensuring that no other girl in her village had to live in fear."
"Her story shook the world, making international headlines. Hillary Clinton read about her in The New York Times in an article by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof. Soon after, Mukhtaran Mai was brought to the U.S. by a Pakistani Physicians Foundation. Her courage inspired me so deeply that I made my first documentary about her story—I Can Survive. That film was screened at a benefit attended by Senator Clinton herself. To have my work connected to a woman as strong as Mukhtaran Mai was an honour I will never forget," she added.
Somy has turned producer with her banner, Somy Ali Productions, and shared that she continues to fight for women through storytelling. Her recent short film Grey was selected for screening at the South Asian Indian Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim.
She mentioned that these women remind her of the motive with which she embarked on this journey and encourage her to fight for those who have been beaten, broken, and told they are worthless.
Somy said, "Even in 2025, victim-blaming persists. Women are still silenced, dismissed, and abandoned when they dare to speak their truth. That must change. I have seen the rawest pain firsthand—women bruised, battered, and too afraid to believe they deserve freedom. I have held their hands as they walked away from their nightmares. And yes, I have also held the hands of those who never made it out, who took their last breath wishing for more than just justice—they wanted change. For me, this is not just a cause. It is my life’s work. Yet, I have also learnt that true strength is rising above hate and cruelty. When people go low, we must go higher. When they try to silence us, we must speak louder. When they choose indifference, we must choose action."
"The world needs more than words. It needs real, tangible action. We need laws that protect women from those who rob them of their youth with false promises. We need societies that hold abusers accountable, no matter how powerful they are. We need cultures that uplift survivors, not ostracise them.
I have been shunned, abandoned, and trolled. My truth made me 'dangerous' in the eyes of some—a risk to their careers, a story they wished to erase. But I will never be silenced. Because while my abuser may have tried to erase my voice, he is now the one fading into irrelevance," she added.
Somy, a firm believer in karma, further spoke about her abuser and said that he is seeing a massive downfall not just in his personal life but in his professional life as well.
She said, "For years, he held immense power in Mumbai—controlling the industry, silencing those who dared to speak out, and manipulating narratives to maintain his godlike status. But no one is untouchable forever.
Now, his once-unshakeable empire is crumbling. His TV show’s TRP ratings have plummeted, revealing that audiences are no longer enchanted by his fabricated persona. His big-budget movies flop, one after the other, proving that star power is no longer enough to sell a lie. His influence is waning as more and more people see him for what he truly is."
"For years, people protected him out of fear. They stayed silent because they had to survive. But the world is changing. Women are speaking up. Survivors are reclaiming their voices. And the powerful men who thought they could destroy lives without consequence? They are learning that karma never forgets. I have waited decades for this. Not for revenge—but for justice. Because I always knew that no matter how much money, influence, or fame someone has—truth will always win in the end," Somy ended.
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