Sistas, Let's Talk

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...

Women are increasingly becoming targets in sorcery accusation-related violence, and one woman has made it her life's mission to stamp it out.  This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on 28th September 2022

When you educate a woman you educate a nation, however, in many parts of the Pacific it's still difficult to access a good education, because of distance, or the cost, or even family obligations. And when parents have to choose whether their sons or daughters will go to school, girls are still missing out. Fortunately, that is changing as more young parents are graduating from high school and univ...

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

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...

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 th...

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...

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...

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

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

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

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 T...

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 comm...

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...

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.  ...

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 Sist...

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 a...

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 com...

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 reproductiv...

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 Pac...

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