Gynaecologist who offers free surgery to FGM survivors named SA Australian of the Year

Fariba Behnia-Willison has lived in Iran, Germany and Australia. Today she is a gynaecologist and reconstructive surgeon in Adelaide, and on Thursday 5 November she was named 2027 South Australian Australian of the Year there by the National Australia Day Council.

A graft made from the patient’s own blood

Her field is the pelvic floor. According to her official award profile, she uses the Victoria Graft System, approved by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), which turns a woman’s own blood into a graft for pelvic floor reconstruction, as an alternative to synthetic mesh. The system is developed by SmartFem, the company she founded and where she is chief medical officer, according to the Government of South Australia.

Fariba Behnia-Willison at the awards ceremony in Adelaide. Photo: © Salty Dingo 2026 / National Australia Day Council.

Surgery at no cost for survivors

Through Desert Flower South Australia, Behnia-Willison offers restorative surgery at no cost, using that graft, to women who survived female genital mutilation. The awards organisers say her work is transforming the lives of “tens of thousands of women”, though they give no exact figure.

The same ceremony honoured palliative care specialist Roger Hunt, after more than 40 years in end-of-life care; Edward Robinson, 23, whose educational satellite kits have reached more than 200 schools in 18 countries; and Neil Davis, who has spent years talking to young people about preventing violence since losing his son.

The winner by the river after the ceremony. Photo: © Salty Dingo 2026 / National Australia Day Council.

Next stop: Canberra on 25 January

The winners from every state and territory now go forward to the national Australian of the Year award, announced on the evening of 25 January 2027 in Canberra, on the eve of Australia Day.