Dr Samantha Pillay OAM — Australia’s first urologist to exclusively sub-specialise in female and functional urology, and South Australia’s first female urologist — has been recognised for more than two decades of work advancing gender equity, patient care and leadership in medicine with the 2026 AMA Women’s Health Award.
Presenting the award at the AMA’s national conference today, AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said this is recognition of Dr Pillay’s legacy of championing women’s health in Australia.
“Dr Pillay’s career is a powerful example of what sustained advocacy for women in medicine can achieve — both for patients and the generations of clinicians coming up behind her,” Dr McMullen said.
“She is a leading voice of women’s health in Australia having spent more than two decades advancing gender equity, patient care and leadership in medicine.
“Dr Pillay has gone far beyond building an incredible practice to advance women’s health, she has amplified underrepresented health issues by creating infrastructure for the whole sector, including training courses, a free bladder diary app, and public education resources.”
In health education, Dr Pillay developed the first RACGP-accredited online continence course for health professionals and has delivered over 140 lectures and workshops to medical professionals, general practitioners, and students, serving as a role-model for the next generation of urologists in Australia.
In 2002, she founded Continence Matters — a practice dedicated to empowering patients through care and education. It has since grown into a public health website, reaching people in 179 countries.
Dr Pillay said recognition from her own profession means a great deal, and this award belongs to her patients as much as to her.
“It takes real courage to overcome the stigma of incontinence and ask for help,” Dr Pillay said.
“My patients’ trust, and their support for my mission to raise awareness, has carried this work further than I could have alone.”
Beyond urology, Dr Pillay is a prominent advocate for women in STEM and leadership more broadly, and a member of the International Women’s Forum.
She is the author of the best-selling Inspirational Careers for Kids picture book series, which has won multiple international awards and has been adapted into educational resources and AI-generated music videos.
“Children decide which careers are ‘for them’ in their earliest years, long before anyone mentions STEM,” Dr Pillay said.
“If a girl has never seen a woman do the job, she needs to see it on the page first. I did not have that. The next generation should.”
