Emily Korir OAM has drawn on her negative personal experiences to become a voice and advocate for women and people with disability.

She was raised a child of a teenage mother in Nakuru, Kenya, a place where she says, ‘survival often left little room for dreaming’. 

“I know what it is to feel invisible, unwanted, unheard. But Australia – this great country – offered me something I never thought possible: the chance to not only survive, but to thrive,” she says. 

“It gave me the space to rewrite my story – and, through my work, to help others do the same.” 

In 2012, Emily suffered a sudden and life-altering stroke. While on life support her husband was told she would never walk, talk, read or write again. After a year of rehabilitation, she took it in her stride, and completed a Master of Business Administration majoring in Human Resource Management and A Graduate Diploma in Disability Policy and Practice. 

She is now CEO of BET Group Global Pty Ltd, and co-founder of the BET Foundation – a fast-growing and innovative disability housing service provided in South Australia (head office) New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. 

She was awarded the Medal of the Order for service to people with disability, and to multicultural communities in The King’s Birthday 2025 Honours list. 

“Today, I stand as an advocate for people with disabilities, for migrant and multicultural communities, and for women and girls who have been silenced for too long. 

“This recognition is not just a medal – it’s a validation of a life lived with purpose, often in pain, but always with hope. It means that the stories of women like my mother, of girls who have been silenced by violence and tradition, are finally being heard. 

“It means that people with disabilities, migrants, survivors – those who are so often pushed to the margins – can take up space with dignity and strength.” 

Emily says her recognition, while being deeply personal, is also for her community.

“It’s a reminder that our voices – those of migrants, people with disabilities, survivors, and women from marginalised backgrounds – are not only valid, but vital to the future of this country.

“Being honoured in this way affirms the work I’ve been doing for years: advocating for justice, inclusion and dignity for those too often overlooked.

“Personally, it reminds me that my story – no matter how painful – has purpose. And that purpose is to keep going, to listen to others, and never stop using my voice for those who cannot yet use theirs.”