PODCAST · society
Sistas, Let's Talk
by ABC Radio Australia
Sistas, Let’s Talk is a show for women across the Pacific region. Each week, host Natasha Meten talks to inspirational women about the issues affecting them, and discusses how to navigate modern life as a Pacific Island woman.
Episodes
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Finding the extraordinary in Ordinary Tongan Lives
What motivates a person to tell the stories of everyday people in their community? A passion for writing combined with the advice of her late father motivated Haitelenisia Afemui 'Uhila Angilau (Sia) to start the Facebook page Ordinary Tongan Lives. When he was alive her father had said when she...
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When disaster hits home: Telling Vanuatu’s climate change stories
When big environmental events happen in the Pacific, who tells the important stories? In Vanuatu, it’s Tiffany Baldwin. A climate change reporter for Vanuatu Broadcasting Television Corporation, Tiffany is passionate about environmental journalism. She's been telling these stories through El Niño...
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How a girl from Rabaul became a champion for Wantoks in Australia
For more than 40 years, Waso Mathews has been the person others turn to for support. From her childhood in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, to her life as a respected chef and community leader in South Australia, she has spent decades helping families build new lives, creating connections across…
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Rose Pihei never planned to become a politician, but the Bougainville Conflict changed everything
When the Bougainville conflict erupted in 1988, Rose Pihei was living away from her village on the south of the island. After the conflict – which led to killed 20000 people and saw many more displaced – Rose saw the crucial role women played in rebuilding their communities. Inspired to create...
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Breaking the silence: Tongan mother and daughter create tools to prevent domestic violence
How do you improve communication in Pacific families with the aim of preventing domestic violence? Carol Kuisma and her daughter Jessica are Tongan women living in Australia. They have developed a set of cards aimed at starting conversations and encouraging healthy, non-violent relationships. The...
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Veronica Koman: The exiled lawyer refusing to stay silent on West Papua
For Indonesian human rights lawyer and activist Veronica Koman, exile from her home country isn't enough to stop her from speaking out about Indonesia's rule over West Papua. Veronica received a humanitarian award for her activism and she's used it as another chance to continue advocating for…
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How education changed Matilda Sweman's life
Matilda Sweman thinks deeply about education. Particularly for girls in Papua New Guinea. That's because she went to school just after her country gained independence, at a time when very few girls were being educated. She went on to become a primary school teacher in the East Sepik region for...
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How living in the diaspora led this Elder to an Olympic icon
For arts scholar and curator, Aunty Sana Reana Balai, living as part of the Pacific Island diaspora in Australia offered her new opportunities – and challenges. Carving out a new life abroad where she rarely saw other Pacific Islanders, Aunty shares stories on how she kept herself grounded and...
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The challenges of raising neurodivergent children in the Pacific
Understanding autism, ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions for kids in the Pacific can be a challenge for parents and their wider communities. These conditions are on a spectrum, meaning symptoms vary from mild to severe depending on the individual and the challenges they face. Children who...
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Honour and responsibility: What being a matriarch means for Pacific women
Many women across the Pacific would not necessarily call themselves a matriarch. But their children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or community might. A matriarch is often the eldest daughter. The person everyone turns to. The one who holds the family together, carries traditions, settles…
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The joys and challenges of intercultural relationships in the Pacific
Love doesn't follow rules or boundaries. In a diverse society, it often brings together people from different cultural backgrounds, creating relationships that can be as enriching as they are complex. On Sistas Let's Talk, Natasha Meten explores the shared sense of connection, respect and…
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Life after 40: Pacific women on growth, identity and self-discovery
For many Pacific women, their 40s and 50s can be a transformative time marked by wisdom, confidence and self-discovery. With lived experience comes a clearer understanding of what truly matters, bringing fresh perspectives on relationships, health, family and identity. On Sistas Let’s Talk…
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From oka to chop suey: the traditional dishes connecting Pacific generations
For many Pacific women, traditional dishes are more than just food, they are a connection to family, culture and identity. From island trevally to oka to the classic chop suey, Sistas Let’s Talk is celebrating the traditional Pacific dishes that our guests have been making since childhood.…
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Life in your 30s: PNG women share lessons on family, career and self-discovery
Turning 30 can feel like standing at a crossroads, caught between who you were and who you want to become. In this episode of Sistas Let's Talk, three Papua New Guinean women reflect on life in their 30s, sharing candid stories career ambitions, family responsibilities, self-discovery and the...
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NAIDOC Week spotlight: Professor Jackie Huggins brings Indigenous history to life
Sistas Let’s Talk usually celebrates remarkable women from across the Pacific, but this NAIDOC Week, the focus turns to one of Australia’s most respected Aboriginal elders. Natasha Meten sits down with Bidjara and Birri Gubba Juru woman Professor Jackie Huggins, an historian, author and lifelong...
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Ambition and hope: Three Pacific women on life in their 20s
The transition to adulthood is an exciting time of life, shaped by both opportunity and expectation. From planning careers to taking on new responsibilities, life in your 20s can bring big changes and challenges. On Sistas Let’s Talk, Natasha Meten meets three women navigating this journey,...
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Bougainville’s Theonila Roka Matbob on taking down a mining giant and winning the Goldman Prize
Theonila Roka Matbob grew up surrounded by the toxic legacy of Panguna mine in central Bougainville. Now a politician and human rights advocate, she refused to accept the damage left behind. Mobilising her community, Theonila took on mining giant Rio Tinto – and won. Her campaign has earned her...
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How traditional and legal adoption conflict for children from the Pacific
Adoption in the Pacific is very different from the way it’s done in other countries. If children aren’t being raised by their birth parents, there are aunties, uncles or grandparents who will take them in. But for Pacific kids in the diaspora, adoption can go several ways. There are cultural...
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Beyond the disaster: Meet the women on the frontline of landslide relief in PNG and Bougainville
For many communities across the Pacific, the impact of Cyclone Maila is still being felt long after the winds and rain have passed. At least 25 people lost their lives, but behind that number are families trying to rebuild - and women carrying much of the recovery on their shoulders. Sistas…
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Surviving a rough patch: how some couples get through the hard times
Relationships are full of ups and downs but if you don’t want to break up, how do you bring your relationship back from the brink? This week Sistas Let’s Talk explores the ways women across the Pacific have saved their relationships by facing up to difficult conversations, seeking counselling and...
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How colonialism has shaped colourism in the Pacific
Colourism is part of everyday life for some Pacific Islanders. From being told you’re too dark for a photo to seeing lighter-skinned kids picked first for school teams, it shapes how people are treated, privileging some while others face exclusion or bullying. This week on Sistas Let’s Talk,...
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Five years on: Sistas Let’s Talk looks back on five years of platforming Pacific women’s issues
Five years ago, Sistas Let's Talk began as a space for Pacific Island women to talk honestly about their lives. The joys, the struggles, the things they celebrate and the things they’re too often told not to say out loud. To mark this milestone, hosts Natasha Meten and Hilda Wayne go on a trip…
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Why do so many Pacific men refuse to wear condoms?
HIV rates in Fiji and Papua New Guinea are soaring but the message about safe sex doesn’t seem to be getting through to a lot of men in the Pacific. Condoms are one of the most effective ways of preventing HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. But many women in the Pacific are finding...
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Will banning polygamy in Papua New Guinea improve safety for women and children?
Polygamy is illegal in Papua New Guinea, but in practice it remains widespread—and is growing. Prime Minister James Marape has announced plans to strengthen the ban as part of a broader national effort to protect women, strengthen families, and restore respect for mothers and daughters across the...
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How the Pacific drug crisis impacts women
The drug crisis across the Pacific is dominating our headlines. Countries like Fiji and Tonga have become gateways for moving drugs between Asia or the Americas to Australia and New Zealand. Some of these drugs end up on the streets in the Pacific, and for women and girls there's a secondary…
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From excitement to fear: What it’s like being pregnant for the first time
It’s hard to think of anything more exciting but also nerve wracking than being pregnant for the first time. Each stage is a new experience and a lesson in letting go of plans and control, and just trying to go along with what life delivers. Every woman is different and so is every pregnancy.…
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Stigma kills: How Fiji’s HIV crisis impacts mothers and babies
Fiji has the world's fastest growing rate of HIV transmission and it's not only high-risk groups being impacted. Babies are being born with HIV through a process now called vertical transmission - where they get it during pregnancy or birth or breastfeeding. However, vertical transmission is very...
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Positive bystanders: How to take action when you witness gender-based violence
Gender-based violence is happening throughout the Pacific but one thing that seems to be changing is how people react when they see it. While some people still stand by, afraid to get involved, others are speaking up and saying the violence is unacceptable. So how can you be a positive bystander...
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What GBV survivor support really looks like in the Pacific
Gender‑based violence remains a major issue across the Pacific, and while crisis support services exist, long‑term trauma care for survivors varies widely. So what happens after the immediate danger has passed? What does effective, culturally informed trauma support look like in places where…
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The power of friendship seeing women through the best and worst times
What does it mean to have a best friend? For Vaimo'oi'a Ripley and Julia Meredith it has meant having someone to laugh with, make mischief with and someone to turn to in the absolute best and worst moments of life. The pair have been best friends since primary school in Samoa and while they no...
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Trailblazers in lab coats: Meet the Pacific women changing lives through science
While there’s no shortage of Pacific women in sport, the arts and business to look up to, what about women in science? Globally, women make up less than a third of the STEM workforce, and Pacific women are even more underrepresented. Yet many are leading groundbreaking research that’s improving…
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Why singing brings joy: Pacific voices explain the power of music
Music and singing weave through everyday life across the Pacific, shaping our stories, celebrations and connections. For many, it’s more than just an expression; it's a source of joy. But what is it about lifting our voice in song that makes us feel so good? On Sistas Let’s Talk, Natasha Meten…
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Protecting the bubus: combating elder abuse in the Pacific
People in the Pacific are raising the alarm about elder abuse in the region. Worldwide one in six people over 60 have been abused, according to startling statistics from the World Health organisation. In Fiji last year, around 2000 cases of abuse were reported to the police, including physical,...
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Beyond the bills: The grassroots push helping Pacific women rewrite their financial futures
When the average woman stretches her income across food, bills, and family responsibilities, is there anything left to save for the future? Across the Pacific region, organisations are proving the answer can be “yes”. With the right tools and a little financial literacy, women are learning how to...
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Hidden struggles: Confronting perinatal mental health challenges across the Pacific
You've probably heard of post-natal depression, but it’s just one of several mental illnesses that can affect women during or after pregnancy. Depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and even psychosis can affect women at what should be one of the happiest times of their life. And in…
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Why is getting vaccinated a challenge across the Pacific?
Getting vaccinated is a simple step that prevents illnesses like measles, polio-virus and even cervical cancer. But in parts of the Pacific, not everyone is able or willing to access vaccines. Whether it's combating hesitation or limited access, health authorities are working hard to vaccinate as...
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Being alone and being lonely aren't the same thing
Community and family are two of the most universal values in the Pacific, so it's almost impossible to imagine that anyone could feel lonely. However, people can be surrounded by family and still feel a sense of loneliness, and with so many people moving overseas or to the city for work, not...
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Who is working to bring an end to child marriage in the Pacific?
Somewhere in the world, a girl is married every three seconds. The rates vary in the Pacific, however in Papua New Guinea 27 per cent of women aged 20 to 24 were married before they turned 18. And in some countries, like Solomon Islands, the legal age of marriage is 15 with parental or judicial...
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Too many Pacific women die in childbirth. How can they be saved?
The rate of women who die during childbirth is alarmingly high in parts of the Pacific. According to World Population Review, the rate of maternal mortality in Papua New Guinea is 192 deaths in every 100,000 live births. That’s compared with a country like Australia, which is just three in every...
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The challenges of raising neurodivergent children in the Pacific
Understanding autism, ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions for kids in the Pacific can be a challenge for parents and their wider communities. These conditions are on a spectrum, meaning symptoms vary from mild to severe depending on the individual and the challenges they face. Children who...
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Meet the next generation of Pacific women fighting for change
Sistas, Let’s Talk is Sabina Moce is only 24, but for the past decade the young Fijian woman has been a passionate advocate for people with disability. Sabina was born with albinism and growing up in Fiji with the condition led to bullying and exclusion from her community. This inspired her to...
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What does a Vanuatu council’s ban on menstruating women selling food say about kastom, period hygiene and respect for women?
A controversial by-law banning women in a Vanuatu province from handling or selling food during menstruation has led to shock and community outrage. The law, passed by Shefa Provincial Government Council, threatened hefty fines and the loss of food stall permits for women who broke it. However,...
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Pacific period health: What happens when you can't access pads or clean water?
Many women and girls in the Pacific don’t have access to pads, clean water or even the knowledge they need to practice proper menstrual hygiene. Poor menstrual hygiene can lead to urinary tract infections and the stigma and shame around periods is stopping girls from attending school. However,...
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The dark side of connection: How cyber abuse impacts women and children
For musician Rosie Delmah, fame has been a double-edged sword. Rosie has been experiencing cyber bullying and sexual harassment for several years. In 2025, explicit deep fake images of her were created and spread across the internet, causing her to bravely speak out. And Rosie is not alone. Cyber...
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Fewer than 8 per cent of Pacific politicians are women, but more women are now putting their hands up
Like many women, Ruth Cross Kwansing spent a lot of time talking herself out of politics before eventually running in the Kiribati elections. She is now Minister for Women, Youth, Sports and Social Affairs. “It really is a better conversation when we have more balance in the voices available in...
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How Pacific men and boys are joining the fight against gender-based violence
How Pacific men and boys are joining the fight against gender-based violence
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Ozempic isn’t the cure: Tackling Pacific obesity through education
Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic may be gaining popularity in Western countries, but in the Pacific, they’re not a viable solution, and experts say they’re not the right one either. High costs and limited availability make these medications inaccessible for many Pacific communities. Instead, health...
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What ovarian cancer taught me
When Tongan woman Alisi Jack-Kaufusi was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at just 24-years-old, she was in disbelief. The subsequent surgeries and treatments have taken their toll, but, after seven years living with the disease, Alisi is passionate about sharing her story to help raise awareness of...
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‘Women are the seed keepers’: How empowering women is key to addressing climate change
Women are the backbone of society in Papua New Guinea, but when it comes to who has the power to make big decisions, particularly around resources, it's the men who dominate this space. Women are often excluded, dismissed or told to focus on domestic chores. But more and more organisations are...
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How living in the diaspora led this Elder to an Olympic icon
For arts scholar and curator, Aunty Sana Reana Balai, living as part of the Pacific Island diaspora in Australia offered her new opportunities – and challenges. Carving out a new life abroad where she rarely saw other Pacific Islanders, Aunty shares stories on how she kept herself grounded and...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Sistas, Let's Talk have?
Sistas, Let's Talk currently has 250 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Sistas, Let's Talk about?
Sistas, Let’s Talk is a show for women across the Pacific region. Each week, host Natasha Meten talks to inspirational women about the issues affecting them, and discusses how to navigate modern life as a Pacific Island woman.
How often does Sistas, Let's Talk release new episodes?
Sistas, Let's Talk publishes regularly with 250 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Sistas, Let's Talk?
You can listen to Sistas, Let's Talk on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Sistas, Let's Talk?
Sistas, Let's Talk is created and hosted by ABC Radio Australia.
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