Paid maternity leave is rare in the Pacific, and women often bear the brunt of its absence. In Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia, Krystle Melander struggled to balance work and motherhood without paid leave after giving birth. Her experience led her, through the grassroots Utwe women’s organisation, to successfully campaign for change in 2022. Sistas speaks to health and gender experts Dr Frances Kataniboliku of UNICEF Pacific and Mereseini Rakuita of SPC about the health, economic and community benefits of paid maternity leave for women and families across the region.