Sistas, Let's Talk

The joys and challenges of intercultural relationships in the Pacific 06.08.2026 30min

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 belonging that couples have despite their cultural differences. She speaks to Pauline Dorney from Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands Māori woman Mari Unuia Sanga and Fijian Finau Vulivuli about how bringing together different cultures can come with its own unique joys, challenges and lessons along the way. Listen on ABC Radio Australia.

Life after 40: Pacific women on growth, identity and self-discovery 30.07.2026 29min

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 Natasha Meten speaks with three women about the realities of midlife – what excites them, what challenges them and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. She’s joined by Berthadene Keki Ale, 46, Emilihter Kihleng, 44, and Arah Ecke, who is in her 50s, for a candid discussion about aging, resilience and embracing new chapters. Listen on ABC Radio Australia.

From oka to chop suey: the traditional dishes connecting Pacific generations 23.07.2026 29min

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. Natasha Meten speaks to Aunty Rangi Mitaera-Johnson from Cook Islands and Tongan-born 'Ana Seini Ma'ilei Savio from Aotearoa, while Faleagafulu Inga Stünzner and her daughter Stella Matauiau prepare a bowl of oka. Listen on ABC Radio Australia.

Life in your 30s: PNG women share lessons on family, career and self-discovery 16.07.2026 29min

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 realities of adulthood. From learning to let go of the need for external validation to embracing failure as an opportunity for growth, their experiences highlight the confidence and clarity that often comes with age. Host Natasha Meten speaks to Dolores Kamang, 39, an agricultural worker; Estelle Walters, 34, an entrepreneur; and Maureen “Moe” Orea, 32, a radio executive, about the lessons they’ve learned and the perspectives they’ve gained along the way. Listen on ABC Radio Australia.

NAIDOC Week spotlight: Professor Jackie Huggins brings Indigenous history to life 09.07.2026 30min

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 advocate for Indigenous rights. As a child, Jackie questioned why her people’s history was left out of the classroom. Today, she is one of Australia’s first Indigenous historians, dedicated to telling the truth of First Nations history. Listen on ABC Radio Australia

Ambition and hope: Three Pacific women on life in their 20s 02.07.2026 29min

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, exploring what they’ve achieved, their hopes for the future, and how cultural expectations have evolved since becoming adults. They are Papua New Guinea Young Professional Women Network founder Shivonnie Sakme, Aotearoa-based writer Taualofa Totua, and Fijian Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion Officer Sabina Moce. Listen on ABC Radio Australia.

Bougainville’s Theonila Roka Matbob on taking down a mining giant and winning the Goldman Prize 25.06.2026 28min

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 global recognition, including the the 2026 Goldman Environmental Prize. In this episode of Sistas Let’s Talk, Natasha Meten speaks with Theonila about growing up in the shadow of the mine, her fight for environmental justice and what justice means for her people.

How traditional and legal adoption conflict for children from the Pacific 18.06.2026 30min

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 adoptions, or a child may be adopted in line with the policies of the country – like New Zealand, Australia or the US. On Sistas Let’s Talk Natasha Meten explores the complexities of adoption for Pacific children. She speaks to American-Tongan adoptee Amanda Sullivan-Lee, Kolish Ruby Hart from Papua New Guinea and academics based in Australia Dr Inez Fainga'a-Manu Sione and Dr Ruth Lute Faleolo. Listen on ABC Radio Australia.

Beyond the disaster: Meet the women on the frontline of landslide relief in PNG and Bougainville 11.06.2026 29min

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, Let’s Talk meets the women on the frontlines of recovery. In the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Susie Banas and Traicy Tsiroa risked their own safety to cross the flooded river to meet survivors, and Linda Maniot was part of the efforts to bury the dead. And in Rabaul, East New Britain, Sharon Leslie, speaks about the aftermath of the deadly landslide there. Listen on ABC Radio Australia.

Surviving a rough patch: how some couples get through the hard times 04.06.2026 30min

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 even turning to an agony aunt. Natasha Meten speaks to Elsie Molou, a listener from Vanuatu who has been with her partner for 10 years, Fijian relationships counsellor Vika Bete Lumuni and comedian-turned-agony aunt Courtney Dawson in Aotearoa. Listen on ABC Radio Australia.

How colonialism has shaped colourism in the Pacific 21.05.2026 30min

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, Natasha Meten speaks with two women about the impact of colourism and its roots in colonialism. We hear from Elise Polosovai, former Miss Solomon Islands, and Wendy Mocke, actor, writer and co-host of Stories from the Pacific.

Five years on: Sistas Let’s Talk looks back on five years of platforming Pacific women’s issues 14.05.2026 30min

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 down memory lane to revisit some of the moments and episodes that serve as a reminder why Sistas Let’s Talk exists. Episodes revisited: Pacific Women Finding Love How to be an overbearing Aunty What is it like to be a conservationist in the land of a thousand tribes, Papua New Guinea? Tackling Emotional Abuse Pacific Women and the Spirit World Pacific period health: What happens when you can't access pads or clean water? Listen on ABC Radio Australia.

Why do so many Pacific men refuse to wear condoms? 07.05.2026 30min

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 their sexual partners don’t want to use a condom. Women report being accused of promiscuity, face intimidation and in some cases experience sexual violence after raising the issue of using a condom. This week on Sistas Let’s Talk we explore why some men refuse to wear condoms and the serious consequences this has for women. We speak with Dolores Devesi and Jessica Work from the International Planned Parenthood Federation in Fiji, and “Sarah” who shares her story anonymously after contracting HIV through unprotected sex. Listen on ABC Radio Australia.

Will banning polygamy in Papua New Guinea improve safety for women and children? 30.04.2026 30min

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 country. Will the ban work? And how might it empower women in polygamous relationships to fight for their rights? These are the questions host Natasha Meten asks on Sistas Let’s Talk, in conversation with Sarah Garap, a Peace Fellow and community development facilitator from Jiwaka Province, and “Alice”, who speaks anonymously about growing up with a polygamous father. Listen on ABC Radio Australia.

How the Pacific drug crisis impacts women 23.04.2026 30min

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 impact beyond that of addiction. Some are experiencing gender-based violence and family breakdown or ending up involved in sex work. Sistas Let’s Talk speaks to experts in Fiji and Tonga where the crisis has hit hard, about the impacts and supports available to women. Kalesi Volatabu, recovered drug user and founder of Drug Free World – Fiji Mele Prescott, Salvation Army Addiction Services, Tonga

From excitement to fear: What it’s like being pregnant for the first time 16.04.2026 29min

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. This week on Sistas Let’s Talk, Natasha Meten explores first time pregnancy with a woman who’s experiencing it and a midwife who helps women through it. Grace Naleba, first time mother in Fiji Betsy Hamao, midwife with the Kiopan Hanahan Health Centre Antenatal clinic in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville Listen on ABC Radio Australia

Stigma kills: How Fiji’s HIV crisis impacts mothers and babies 09.04.2026 29min

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 avoidable. The key is getting tested early and getting that lifesaving treatment, but to do that, first women need to overcome stigma and misinformation. This week on Sistas Let’s Talk Natasha Meten speaks to three women about the issue including a HIV positive mother who managed to avoid passing the disease on to her child. “Sarah” anonymous Fijian mother who is HIV Positive Renata Ram, UN AIDS Pacific HIV Advisor Kaylene Kalmos, the National HIV and STI Officer for the National HIV program in Vanuatu Listen on ABC Radio Australia

Positive bystanders: How to take action when you witness gender-based violence 02.04.2026 30min

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 without risking your own safety? Sistas Let’s Talk speaks to three women about stepping in and defending victims of abuse. Debbie Kaore, GBV survivor Shamima Ali, CEO of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre Susi Feltch-Malohifo'ou, Executive Director & Co-Founder, of Pacific Island Knowledge 2 Action Resources (PIC2AR) Listen on ABC Radio Australia

What GBV survivor support really looks like in the Pacific 19.03.2026 29min

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 health services are stretched? And how should care change to meet the needs of survivors from different backgrounds and communities? This week on Sistas Let’s Talk, host Natasha Meten speaks with two women offering powerful insights into GBV survivor care: Debbie Kaore, gender‑based violence survivor Associate Professor Yvonne Crichton-Hill, social work researcher at the University of Canterbury Listen now on ABC Radio Australia.

The power of friendship seeing women through the best and worst times 12.03.2026 29min

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 longer live in the same city, they always know how to pick up where they left off. This week on Sistas Let’s Talk, Natasha Meten speaks to “Mo’o” and “Jules” about their powerful friendship. Listen to the full episode on ABC Radio Australia.

Sistas, Let's Talk

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