The Hot Pink Paper Campaign
An issue-based campaign that amplifies the voices of communities who are often not heard at city hall.
The Hot Pink Paper Campaign (HPPC) is how WTC amplifies the voices of communities who are often 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 priority issues for women, girls, and gender non-conforming people in Vancouver. We prioritize hearing from groups who are often excluded from democratic processes and who face systemic oppression in our city.
In the lead up to the municipal election, WTC runs deep engagement with community groups and organizations to identify priority issues for women, girls, and gender non-conforming people in Vancouver. We prioritize hearing from groups who are systematically excluded from democratic processes. We synthesize what we hear into a list of policy 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.
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
A Four Year Campaign
Once elected, we hold mayor and city council accountable to their commitments through regular engagement and monitoring of council agendas. We communicate their successes, highlight work that still needs to be done, and make ourselves available to support equity-driven decisions.
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 equity-deserving genders 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
The 2022 Hot Pink Paper Campaign Process
Run Your Own Hot Pink Paper Campaign
Currently, WTC only runs the 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.
