Having the opportunity to honour three amazing medical women is the highlight of my AFMW year. The AFMW President’s Awards followed on from our AGM which was on Saturday 12 November, 2022. The recipients each gave a moving presentation. Look out for our next series of eBulletin updates, which will feature each of our recipients.
1. Professor Raina MacIntyre – President’s Award for excellent contribution to the health of Australia and leadership.
2. Dr Merrilyn Murnane AM – President’s Honour In recognition of her excellent contribution to the Australian Federation of Medical Women, community and profession.
3. Dr Madhura Naidu – President’s Young AFMW Award In recognition of her excellent contribution to the Victorian Medical Women’s Society and AFMW.
Magdalena Simonis
President AFMW
Magdalena is the President of the AFMW (2020-) and former President of VMWS (2013 & 2017-2020). She is a leading women’s health expert, keynote speaker, climate change and gender equity advocate, government advisor and holds positions on several not for profit organisations bridging gaps across the health sector.
Magdalena’s deep engagements with the RACGP over many years includes chair of Women in General Practice, is currently on the RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care, prior to that on RACGP eHealth Expert Committee. She is a regular media spokesperson on numerous health issues, being interviewed most weeks by mainstream and medical media. Magdalena has represented the RACGP at senate enquiries and has worked on several National Health Framework reviews, author of the RACGP Guide on Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery and co-reviewer of the RACGP Red Book Women’s Health Chapter.
Both an RACGP examiner and University examiner she supervises medical students and undertakes general practice research and is a GP Educator. Roles outside of RACGP include the Strategy and Policy Committee for Breast Cancer Network Australia, Board Director of the Melbourne University Teaching Health Clinics and the elected GP representative to the AMA Federal Council.
Magdalena has presented at the United Nations as part of the Australian Assembly and was recently appointed the Australian representative to the World Health Organisation, World Assembly on COVID 19, by the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA).
A/Professor Simonis was a member of the National COVID-19 Taskforce expert committee which will lead into the development of the Australian CDC.
