Sistas, Let's Talk

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.

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    Caregiving is work: Why paid maternity leave is critical for child maternal health in the Pacific

    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. This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on 27th February 2025

    29 min

  2. 20 AUG

    Is customary law appropriate when dealing with sexual and gender-based violence in the Pacific?

    Our Pacific cultures are based on the community – and when it comes to meting out justice, customary law is often recognised within the legal system. This is where the whole family or village takes collective responsibility for an offender's actions and seeks to right the wrong directly with the victim and the victim's family. In fact, it's from these traditions that restorative justice has grown and is now successfully adopted across many parts of the western world. But what happens when it's a violent offence against an individual? And in particular women and children who often don't have a voice? Sistas, Let's Talk explores customary law and asks whether it's appropriate for dealing with sexual and gender-based violence. This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on the 8th August 2024

    30 min

  3. 13 AUG

    Women in Sport: from grassroots to the world stage

    Are more and more Pacific women getting off the sidelines and into the game? What drives them? How is sport an escape from the challenges they face as women? How important is it for girls in the Pacific to get involved in sport? We meet women from a range of countries, clubs and initiatives to learn about the opportunities created by sport, the barriers women and girls face in participation and the success stories from the grassroots to the world stage.   This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on the 31st August 2023

    29 min

  4. 6 AUG

    The meri blouse, urohs and island dress are now part of Pacific women's identity, but challenges loom

    The urohs – a skirt with intricate embroidery – has cultural and economic significance to the women of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. This passion is shared by many of us women across the Pacific, whether it's a mu'u mu'u, a meri blouse, a puletasi or an island dress. This clothing was introduced by missionaries for so-called modesty, but since then women have embraced it and made it their own. But as our fashion industry grows, so do the threats. Mass production overseas is creating a new challenge for the urohs, while other parts of the Pacific face the theft of motifs and icons. How do we protect this fashion that's become part of our culture? Hear from Dr Emelihter Kihleng, who did her PhD dissertation on the Pohnpei skirt and her first published collection of poems is entitled Urohs. This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on the 1st August 2024

    30 min

  5. 30 JUL

    Tackling Emotional Abuse

    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 and Renata Netaf from the Bible Society of the South Pacific. This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on14th November 2024

    29 min

  6. 23 JUL

    ‘They're the custodians of stories and skills’: Why grandmothers are so important in the Pacific

    Grandmothers are not only a great source of wisdom and traditional knowledge, they also play a nurturing and vital role in our lives. This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on 6th February 2025

    27 min

  7. 16 JUL

    How do women in the Pacific manage financially after the of loss their spouse?

    When the only social security available is the extended family, women can be left financially vulnerable with the death or divorce of their husband.  This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on 16th November 2022

    31 min

  8. 9 JUL

    The Pacific women filmmakers telling stories through their cultural lens

    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. This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on 16th January 2025

    29 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Radio Australia
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    216
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All right reserved.
  • Show Website
    Sistas, Let's Talk

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