The Hot Pink Paper Campaign

An issue based election campaign that amplifies the voices of communities who are otherwise not heard in the election process.

The Hot Pink Paper Campaign (HPPC) is how WTC amplifies the voices of communities who are otherwise not heard in the election process. Through this campaign we hold the Mayor and council to account on their commitments to make Vancouver a city where everyone can thrive.

In the lead up to the municipal election, WTC runs deep engagement with community groups and organizations to identify the priority municipal issues for women, girls, and other equity-seeking genders in Vancouver for the upcoming election. We prioritize hearing from groups who are systematically excluded and oppressed from democratic processes. We synthesize all the important information we have heard into a list of policies asks for candidates running for Mayor and Council with the question: Will you commit to implementing this if you are elected?

We use the HPPC to challenge public discussion and debate around city issues and centre the folks who need the city to work for them most.

See our 2022-2026 Policy Asks

As part of our Hot Pink Paper Campaign, Women Transforming Cities developed eight policy asks for Mayor and Council candidates in the 2022 Vancouver election.

1. An Equity Lens on Councillor Motions

2. IWG2S+ People’s Healing Lodge

3. Reducing Barriers for Affordable Housing

4. Protecting Tenants from Heatwaves

5. Alternative Models to Community Safety

6. Washrooms for All

7. Fully Fund Climate Emergency Responses

8. Affordable and Accessible Transit

See policy asks

A Four Year Campaign

Once elected, we keep the Mayor and City Council focused on making Vancouver a city where everyone can belong through regular engagement and monitoring of council agendas. We communicate their successes and highlight work that still needs to be done. We hold elected officials accountable to the commitments they made during the election process and make ourselves available to help support that work.

Our Watch Council group speaks at council meetings, sends letters, meets with councillors and organizes campaigns on key issues.

The Impact of the HPPC

WTC has run the HPPC in the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Vancouver municipal election. We know it has the following impacts:

The HPPC keeps issues impacting genders made-marginalized at the forefront of elections
It provides council with the blueprints and references needed to embed intersectionality within bylaws, motions, and decision-making
It gets results — councillors have told us that this campaign raises issues they otherwise wouldn’t have considered, and knowing that WTC is following decisions made at council holds them accountable during their term
It helps residents make informed voting decisions by providing accessible information to rally around issues that matter the most

Latest from the Hot Pink Paper Campaign

Hot Pink Paper Campaign 2022: Recent Highlights and Next Steps

The HPPC Process

The HPPC has five phases:

Final Report: Action on Systemic Barriers to Women's Participation in Local Government (2020)

The final report offers an overview of this three-year project, concentrating on four areas in which women participate in local civic life: as candidates and elected decision-makers; as participants in citizen-led municipal advisory bodies; as municipal employees; and as participants in city-led public engagement efforts. See the report
Voter Engagement, Electoral Systems, and Diverse Women’s Political Representation: A Brief Review (2019)"

Using the 2018 Vancouver, BC elections as a case study, this brief review looks at representation on city council and who votes in municipal elections. See the review
Pathways to a Women-friendly Surrey: Outcome Report (2018)

This outcome report presents the expertise of women participating in a forum held in Surrey, BC. The forum set out to find out why and how women become involved in the city, what helps and supports a woman candidate and what barriers or challenges she faces. See the outcome report
Hot Pink Pathways to a Women-Friendly Vancouver: Outcome Report (2018)

This outcome report presents the expertise of women participating in a forum held in Vancouver, BC. The forum set out to find out why and how women become involved in the city, what helps and supports a woman candidate and what barriers or challenges she faces. See the outcome report
Barriers Facing Women in Politics Briefing Note (2018)

Submitted to the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women. See the briefing note
Systemic Barriers to Women's Participation in Local Government Project's Literature Review (2017)

Literature review of major research pieces and providing an overview of identified barriers to women's involvement in local government. See the literature review

Run Your Own Hot Pink Paper Campaign

Currently, WTC only runs a HPPC in Vancouver. We have developed a toolkit to help you run a similar campaign to center equity in local government elections wherever you live.