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 

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 

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. 

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.   

While there’s no shortage of Pacific women in sport, the arts and business to look up to, what about women in science? 

Globally, women make up less than a third of the STEM workforce, and Pacific women are even more underrepresented. Yet many are leading groundbreaking research that’s improving the health and wellbeing of their communities. 

In this episode of Sistas Let’s Talk, Natasha Meten speaks with three inspiring Pacific scientists who are creating real change: 

• Professor Tu’uhevaha Kaitu’u-Lino from the University of Melbourne 
• PhD candidate Liana Sabetian from the University of Auckland 
• Samoan scientist Amy Maslen Miller 

Together, they share their journeys, their research and how science is strengthening the future of Pacific communities. 

Listen to the full episode on ABC Radio Australia.  

Music and singing weave through everyday life across the Pacific, shaping our stories, celebrations and connections. For many, it’s more than just an expression; it's a source of joy.  

But what is it about lifting our voice in song that makes us feel so good?  

On Sistas Let’s Talk, Natasha Meten sits down with Papua New Guinean-Australian opera singer Heru Pinkasova and choir director and ethnomusicologist Rita Seumanutafa-Palala to explore the deep pleasures of singing: how it binds communities, lifts spirits and continues to evolve across generations. 

Listen to this episode on ABC Radio Australia. 

People in the Pacific are raising the alarm about elder abuse in the region. 

Worldwide one in six people over 60 have been abused, according to startling statistics from the World Health organisation. 

In Fiji last year, around 2000 cases of abuse were reported to the police, including physical, emotional and financial abuse. 

On Sistas Let’s Talk Natasha Meten spoke to three women trying to combat the scourge of elder abuse in their community.  

Sashi Kirin, the Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection in Fiji; Jullian Lava, who leads the women’s ministry at her local Seventh-day Adventist Church in Papua New Guinea; and Dr Juliet Boon from Auckland University of Technology, who conducted a study into elder about among New Zealand’s Pacific diaspora.  

Listen to this episode on ABC Radio Australia. 

When the average woman stretches her income across food, bills, and family responsibilities, is there anything left to save for the future? 

Across the Pacific region, organisations are proving the answer can be “yes”. With the right tools and a little financial literacy, women are learning how to grow their savings, build confidence and take control of their financial independence. 

On Sistas Let's Talk, Natasha Meten explores how three groups are helping women shift their mindset about money and create stronger financial futures.  

She speaks with Rebekah Maeniuta from the West ‘Are’Are Rokotanikeni Association in Solomon Islands, Adi Tafuna’i from Women in Business Development in Samoa, and Laumanu Mafi Tonga from the Pacific Islands Investment Forum’s Women in Super Network. 

Listen to this episode on ABC Radio Australia. 

You've probably heard of post-natal depression, but it’s just one of several mental illnesses that can affect women during or after pregnancy. 

Depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and even psychosis can affect women at what should be one of the happiest times of their life. 

And in the Pacific, stigma and a lack of services can stop women from getting the help they need. 

On Sistas Let’s Talk, Natasha Meten speaks to three women about maternal mental illness: Ru Sevedredre, who experienced post-natal depression; Mercedes Swann, the founder of online maternal mental health support group Mama Talanoa; and Reshmi Singh, from the counselling service Empower Pacific. 

Listen to this episode from ABC Radio Australia.  

Getting vaccinated is a simple step that prevents illnesses like measles, polio-virus and even cervical cancer. But in parts of the Pacific, not everyone is able or willing to access vaccines. 

Whether it's combating hesitation or limited access, health authorities are working hard to vaccinate as many people in the Pacific for as many preventable diseases as possible. 

What can women do to support the cause? 

In Sistas Let’s Talk, ABC Radio Australia's Natasha Meten talks about the life-saving importance of vaccines with Tonga’s chief medical officer for public health Dr Ofa Tukia, Madang town clinic’s nurse in charge Judy Alingou and Sister Litiana Volavola, the national program manager for immunisation in Fiji.