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When life got tough for Samoa’s Maiava Fia’ailetoa Shantel Netzler, sport became more than just a game.   It gave her confidence, purpose, and a sense of belonging.   Combined with the strong and varied education she gained in Samoa, those experiences helped shape the leader she is today.  Now she’s the first Pacific Islander to head up QSport, where she is helping drive the future of sport across Queensland.   On Sistas Let's Talk, Shantel reflects on her upbringing, the lessons she learned through sport and education, and the path that led her to break new ground in sporting leadership.

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.  This edition of Sistas Let's Talk was a repeat of the program broadcast on the 25th of June 2026

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 feels self-pity or sadness she should go out and serve others.  Instead of focusing on Tonga’s high-profile people, Sia writes about the everyday people she meets on the street.   She shares her own story with Natasha Meten on Sistas Let’s Talk.   Listen on ABC Radio Australia.

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 and cyclones, even when her own family is dealing with the fallout from disaster.   Tiffany speaks to Natasha Meten for Sistas Let’s Talk about being a woman in journalism, how disasters in Vanuatu impact women and what she does to unwind.   Listen on ABC Radio 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 cultures, and championing the wellbeing of her fellow Wantoks.  Waso has done everything from bringing comfort to people in nursing homes, feeding troops as they trained to go to war, to putting artefacts to sleep in a Melanesian lullaby.   On Sistas Let's Talk Waso chats to Natasha Meten about everything from her childhood to her life in Australia.   Listen on ABC Radio Australia.

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 autonomous region of Bougainville. This edition of Sistas, Let's Talk was a repeat of the program broadcast on 13th June 2024

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 idea was born out of what they saw in their social services jobs as an obvious need for more Pasifika-aimed domestic violence prevention tools.   The mother and daughter speak to Natasha Meten on Sistas Let's Talk.   Listen on ABC Radio Australia.

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 West Papua.  So what makes this remarkable woman tick?  Veronica speaks to Natasha Meten from Sistas Let's Talk about West Papua, activism and exile.  Listen on ABC Radio Australia

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, working with limited resources and thanking her father for sending her to school. This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on 28th November 2024

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. This week's episode of Sistas, Let's Talk is a repeat of the show broadcast on 5th December 2024

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 can’t read social cues or become overwhelmed by their surroundings can be mistaken for being naughty.  But the better people understand neurodivergence and accept the behaviours that come with the conditions, the easier life will be for families.   Join Sistas Let’s Talk host Natasha Meten on ABC Radio Australia, as she speaks to three women about neurodivergence.   Mother Betty Kolose-Pulefolau, whose adult son has autism, Fijian psychiatrist Violet Esarito and special education teacher Paulia Wingi. This edition of Sistas Let's Talk was a repeat of the program broadcast on 4th December 2025

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 disputes and offers wisdom when it's needed most.   So what does it mean to be seen as a matriarch, what responsibilities come with that role and what does it cost the women who carry it?  On Sistas Let's Talk, Natasha Meten talks to three women from across the Pacific and the diaspora about what being a matriarch means to them.   They are Teaote Davies from Kiribati, Mele Sisi Finefeuiaki from Tonga and Papua New Guinean Moale James Proud.   Listen on ABC Radio Australia.

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.

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.

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.