Most women suffer from period pain, but the majority simply push through it. How different would women’s lives be if they gave period pain the care and treatment it deserves. This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on 7th September 2023
In the Marshall Islands, a baby turning one is a big celebration. It’s known as the kemem. The occasion is usually marked with a big gathering with lots of food and entertainment, perhaps a live band or a DJ along with traditional singing. There can be themes, rides and t-shirts bearing the baby’s face plus gifts for all the guests. But this tradition comes from an important place. Sistas, Let’s Talk learns about the customs and history when it comes to the kemem as well as post-partum practices...
Hilda Wayne explores why fewer Pacific Island women are using birth control today. This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on 6th April 2022
Have you heard of the Haus Man? In Papua New Guinea, it's a ceremonial house for men only where rules are made to keep peace and harmony in the village. But if no women are allowed, how can these decisions be in the best interests of women? And could there be another way? The Haus Meri is an important space for women, and there's a growing movement to see it gain a political voice both at the community and the national level. In this episode, three women talk about how the old can blend with the...
What do you know about perimenopause? I would guess not very much. And that’s because we never speak about it – and that’s not just in the Pacific. It’s worldwide. But Sistas, Let’s Talk is going to break it down for you and find out everything you need to know about the changes our bodies can go through in the lead up to menopause…. As well as why it’s so important to know about them. This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on 19th October 2023
Growing up in the Pacific Island culture, one of the many commandments we have to live by is to respect our elders. At times this means dealing with certain members of family that we just have to tolerate for the rest of our lives - - our overbearing aunties.But, of course, we do more than just, tolerate them. We adore them, we look up to them, and we love them. And most of all, we obey them. ABC broadcasters Seiuli Salamasina von Reiche and Agnes Tupou share what made their aunties so special a...
For many girls in the Pacific, talking about menstruation, sex and childbirth is so taboo that their mothers are not the ones to explain it to them. But understanding sex is vital for so many reasons. If you don't know about sex, you can't know about sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies. So how can we encourage people to have more open conversations about sex? This week on Sistas Let's Talk, Natasha Meten speaks to Rachael Tommbe from the Meri Lida Project, a program that tra...
With gender-based violence an inherent problem within many families and communities across the Pacific, how do we teach men to respect girls and women? This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on 12th April 2023
Hilda Wayne talks to Pacific Island women who are the eldest sister in their family about the challenges and rewards of this unique role. This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on 21st June 2022
Bringing a baby into the world is one of the most important things a woman can do, and for millennia this experience has been shrouded in rituals designed to keep both the mother and baby safe. But in the 21st century, ancient birthing traditions have given way to lifesaving medical support. This week, Sistas Let's Talk examines the contrasting experiences of Pacific women in developing counties and colonised countries. In one place there are women who feel so disconnected from their culture tha...
Child protection workers in the Pacific are seeing increased reports of child abuse including sexual abuse. According to a recent study by Save the Children, more than, 80% of the child protection workers who were surveyed in Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Fiji said emotional, physical and sexual violence had increased or significantly increased in their country. When it comes to sexual violence in the Pacific, the majority of reported victims under 16 are girls, and the p...
PNG Women's Doctor, Lynda Sirigoi, comes across a common problem – many of her patients simply don't know about their own female anatomy and how it works. In the Pacific, these open discussions can be hampered by taboo or religion. But without them, women and girls can face anything from being unprepared for their first period, to making uninformed decisions when it comes to health and reproductive choices...Not to mention disempowerment. So, how do we start these sacred conversations? And who d...
More than ninety-five per cent of the popular music made in the last decade was produced by men. That's according to a 2022 study from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative in the United States. So where are all of the talented women in the music industry? What does it take to break through and gain recognition, not to mention earn a living as a woman in the music industry? Especially in the Pacific where it's already so hard to gain global recognition. Sistas Let's Talk examines the ways that ...
It's easier than ever to test for the virus that causes cervical cancer and more screening programs means fewer women will die from this preventable cancer. This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on 8th June 2023
All over the world, dating apps have changed the way people get together, but is that happening in the Pacific? Or are there just too many logistical and cultural barriers for online dating to take hold in the region? When Natasha Yalo, a woman from Papua New Guinea living in Cairns, went looking for love on a dating app she found it hard to meet men from her culture. So she decided to try creating her own app especially for people from PNG. This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat ...
The best chance of survival from breast cancer is with early diagnosis, so you can receive life-saving treatment, but this doesn't happen for many Pacific women. This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on 1st March 2023
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 lasting change, she co-founded the Bougainville Women's Federation, empowering women and fostering peace in the region. Rose speaks to Natasha Meten on Sistas Let's Talk about the future for women in the a...
Women-led tourism operators in the Pacific show how small-scale community-based tourism is possible, even with the most modest of beginnings.
Having time off after giving birth not only gives new mums time to physically recover and bond with their baby, but it has significant health, economic and community impacts.
From Miss Papua New Guinea to corporate highflyer, Lisa Linibi says success has only been possible through her parents’ support.
Grandmothers are not only a great source of wisdom and traditional knowledge, they also play a nurturing and vital role in our lives.
In December last year, Vanuatu went to the International Court of Justice, which heard a case about climate change for the first time. Meet two of the women who were part of this.
Sistas, Let’s Talk is a show for women across the Pacific region.
While the film industry is notoriously difficult for women and people of colour to break into, there are female filmmakers from the Pacific using the medium to tell important and beautiful Pacific stories.
Family is so important to across the Pacific, and while many traditions are similar like the feasts, and the singing and dancing, every family has its own special things to look forward to at Christmas. In the last episode for 2024, Sistas, Let's Talk celebrates family gatherings with Seiuli Salamasina von Reiche who is going home to Samoa for the festive season and Aggie Tupou who will celebrate in Australia, a long way from her extended family.
For proud Samoan Fa'afafine and trans woman of colour, Amao Leota Lu, Islander food and church hymns kept her connected to her Samoan heritage whilst growing up in Australia. And then there's the heart bells that rang when Amao journeyed back to Samoa after many years away; where seeing her beloved Fa'afafine community proudly represented on billboards and in influential roles across society couldn't stop her from smiling. Sistas Let's Talk discusses connection — but also isolation, when living ...
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 connected to culture, whilst removed from her beloved homeland of Buka Island, in Bougainville. And how her yearning to see other Black people led her to an Olympic legend.
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 almost two decades, and now she's an author and a lecturer in teaching at the Papua New Guinea Education Institute. On Sistas Let's Talk, Natasha Meten speaks to Matilda Sweman about educating girls, worki...
For many girls in the Pacific, talking about menstruation, sex and childbirth is so taboo that their mothers are not the ones to explain it to them. But understanding sex is vital for so many reasons. If you don't know about sex, you can't know about sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies. So how can we encourage people to have more open conversations about sex? This week on Sistas Let's Talk, Natasha Meten speaks to Rachael Tommbe from the Meri Lida Project, a program that tra...
The Pacific region, has some of the highest rates of gender-based abuse in the world. Far too many women suffer physical and sexual violence at the hands of a family member or a former spouse. But domestic abuse is not just physical. It can come in the form of emotional abuse — like controlling behaviour, isolation, and insults intended to damage a woman's state of mind. This week on Sistas Let's Talk, Natasha Meten speaks to survivor and advocate Alicia Sahib, human rights defender Anne Pakoa a...
