Arabic version: تسمية فريبا بهنيا-ويليسون شخصية العام الأسترالية في جنوب أستراليا

According to ABC News, Iranian-Australian gynaecologist Dr Fariba Behnia-Willison has been named South Australia’s Australian of the Year for 2027. She was recognised at a Thursday night ceremony in Adelaide for her work in pelvic floor treatment and her advocacy for women seeking healthcare.

An endo-gynaecologist and surgeon, Dr Behnia-Willison helped develop a safer method of pelvic floor reconstruction. She also founded Desert Flower Australia, a not-for-profit organisation that provides no-cost restorative surgery to survivors of female genital mutilation.

Dr Behnia-Willison said her upbringing shaped her ambitions. “Wherever I went, I noticed that women’s health issues [were] a taboo subject,” she said. She said she had lived on three different continents and observed women being denied freedom in different ways, adding that wanting to be a voice for women led her to become a surgeon.

Other 2027 South Australian award recipients included palliative medicine specialist Dr Roger Hunt, named Senior Australian of the Year; 23-year-old space educator Edward Robinson, named Young Australian of the Year; and violence prevention advocate Neil Davis, who received the Local Hero award.

Outgoing 2026 Australian of the Year Katherine Bennell-Pegg congratulated the recipients and said her own award had opened conversations about Australia’s space ambitions. She said the apparent choice between space and cost of living should be reframed, describing space travel as an economic opportunity that could help make the economy more resilient and productive.