Pelvic surgeon named South Australia 2027 Australian of the Year
Dr Fariba Behnia-Willison received the South Australia 2027 Australian of the Year award during a ceremony held in Adelaide.
Dr Behnia-Willison works as an endo-gynaecologist who specialises in pelvic floor treatments and helped develop safer reconstruction methods. She advocates for restoring dignity for women seeking healthcare services in her community.
The doctor founded Desert Flower Australia which provides no-cost restorative surgery to survivors of female genital mutilation. Her work addresses health issues that were previously considered taboo subjects across many different continents.
During the event Katherine Bennell-Pegg congratulated the recipients and discussed her own accolade from the previous year. She said her win led to important conversations about national space travel ambitions and future opportunities.
The federal government recently proposed a secret payment to the European Space Agency to launch Ms Bennell-Pegg into orbit. This mission is expected to cost around $100 million with the South Australia government also contributing funds.
“Me wanting to be a voice for the women made me a surgeon.”