The ‘Pasifika Women’s Diabetes Wellness Program’ (PWDWP) is a 24-week culturally tailored intervention to promote the health and well-being of Māori and Pasifika women living with type 2 diabetes. The program was co-designed and co-developed with Māori and Pasifika communities in Queensland, using a participatory action research approach that included talanoa (dialogue) and storytelling¹. This co-design work was presented at the 2021 QLD Women’s Health Forum. Here, we return to showcase the 2023 pilot trial of the PWDWP, highlighting the importance of culturally responsive programs that are led by and for women, drawing on Pasifika epistemology and ways of knowing, being, and doing². We will share inspiring stories from women who have gone through the program, empowering themselves, their whānau (family), and their community.

The PWDWP provided a platform for women to share their experiences and stories, creating a supportive community cultural space called vā that promotes health and wellness. The program focused on preventing long-term complications from living with type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions. It included interactive education workshops with self-care tools and resources, individual consultations, and virtual support forums with a dedicated team of Māori and Pasifika community health workers, and specialists (including a diabetes educator, nutritionist, pharmacist and endocrinologist), to help support the women on their wellness journey while sharing their experiences and motivating each other.

Community-led initiatives have a powerful impact on change because they are based on cultural safety principles and values such as identity, respect, reciprocity, spirituality, family, and community.