The new face of homeless women in Australia
There is a lot in the saying home is where the heart is. Home is a place of comfort and protection, but also privacy and autonomy. It’s where we go for shelter from the elements and the demands of our busy lives, but also where we congregate with loved ones. Our home is our dominion, and if we raise children, a place to set down values and pass on lessons. Yet, despite Australia’s wealth and egalitarianism, an immense and growing number of people are without homes. The number of homeless in Australia has grown by 14 per cent in just four years, and women are particularly at risk.
Women account for nearly half of the 100,000-plus homeless people in Australia, and those over 55 are especially vulnerable. “Women over 55 have experienced a lot of the accumulated systemic disadvantages,” says Annabelle Daniel, CEO of Women’s Community Shelters. “They might have been in and out of the workforce because they’ve been caring for children or family members, so they haven’t built up superannuation. They might have worked in casual employment. They might have suffered domestic abuse. Their situation becomes more precarious with age, which means that even a small crisis can tip someone into homelessness.”
Meet Lisa, Rachel and Robin, three courageous Australian women who have battled their way back from homelessness.
Robin Dougherty, 81
I was born in Hornsby, NSW, and grew up in a normal household. At age 18 I got a job at Australian Consolidated Press because I’d always been interested in journalism, and I met Paul. When I was 21, we got married.
We started moving around the
