Paper an apology to 'the body I once blamed, disciplined and doubted'
6 March 2026
Scholar reflects on the harms of restrictive dieting, medical stigma and body surveillance.
The University will mark International Women’s Day 2026 with a seminar by Pacific Studies Lecturer and emerging Pacific scholar in women’s health and well-being Dr Sarah McLean-Orsborn.
Her new paper “An apology to my body: Mapping the changing relationship with my fat body, a reflection on childhood & PCOS,” forms the basis of her presentation. The Pacific Studies International Women’s Day seminar will be held Monday 9 March, 10:00–11:30am at Fale Pasifika.
Published in Fat Studies (Taylor & Francis) last December, Dr McLean-Orsborn (Sāmoa with Chinese, Croatian and Scottish gafa) says the article traces a deeply personal journey through childhood, body image and her diagnosis of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). She reflects on the harms of restrictive dieting, medical stigma and body surveillance and the long path back to self compassion and embodied sovereignty.
Give to Gain: A Pacific-centred reflection for IWD 2026
This year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Give to Gain,” resonates strongly with McLean-Orsborn’s work, which explores how Pacific women can reclaim generosity toward themselves when navigating biomedical systems that often mismeasure and misunderstand their bodies.
“This paper is an apology to the body I once blamed, disciplined and doubted,” says McLean-Orsborn.
“International Women’s Day is a powerful moment to pause and reflect on how we give to ourselves in order to care, love and provide for others. For Pacific women especially, giving to gain could be an opportunity to give oneself permission to practice self-care, or grace to put themselves first or even a chance to pause and reflect on all that they have given, and to be proud of that.”
When we honour our bodies, fat bodies, disabled bodies, grieving bodies, healing bodies, we create space for Pacific women to see themselves not as problems to ‘fix,’ but as people with deep histories, resilience and worth.
Drawing on Pacific worldviews, her talk will invite attendees to consider how body sovereignty, rest and self-recognition stand as counterpoints to narratives of shame and scarcity, often placed on women’s bodies.
A scholar centring Pacific women’s well-being
McLean-Orsborn’s research spans Pacific health, well-being, inequities and the experiences of Pacific women and youth in Aotearoa. She writes from lived experience and from a commitment to community-centred, culturally grounded research.
“Our stories carry knowledge,” she says. “When we honour our bodies, fat bodies, disabled bodies, grieving bodies, healing bodies, we create space for Pacific women to see themselves not as problems to ‘fix,’ but as people with deep histories, resilience and worth.”
A partnership for Pacific women scholars
The seminar continues the long-running collaboration between Pacific Studies and Pacific women scholars, this year supported through a partnership with Fofonga – Pacific Research Excellence. It contributes to a growing body of Pacific-led research that foregrounds Indigenous perspectives on gender equity, health, and social change.
International Women’s Day is a global celebration of women’s achievements and a call to action for gender justice. Through McLean-Orsborn’s seminar, Waipapa Taumata Rau honours the courage and leadership of Pacific women who are reshaping academic, cultural and health landscapes.