More than 50% of Australians believe men over 45 are most at risk of homelessness. Yet, last year over 60% of those accessing homelessness support were women and children. Escaping domestic violence is the number one cause of female homelessness. 

This is why the Body Shop, an activist, feminist brand, teamed up with homeless charity, Launch Housing. To shift the conversation and reduce the stigma of female homelessness and get young Australians talking. 

So, we took an iconic 90s dance track about homelessness and gave it to Siala, a young singer-songwriter who first rose to fame on The Voice Australia in 2020. At the time, Siala was living in a women’s shelter with her mum and five siblings, after escaping family violence.

The track – a cover of Crystal Waters’ iconic 90s anthem Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless) – tells the humbling story of a real woman who became homeless after losing her job. The iconic line “she’s just like you and me, but she’s homeless” encapsulates how homelessness can happen to anyone, to any woman.

We released the song on Spotify, YouTube and streaming services used by our target audience, and created a TikTok hashtag challenge, the first of its kind in Australia, to encourage awareness, understanding, conversation and participation.