As municipal parties and independents gear up for the 2018 Vancouver municipal election on October 20, local women’s organization Women Transforming Cities launched their Hot Pink Paper on September 11.
The Hot Pink Paper, first introduced during the 2014 Vancouver election campaign, seeks to encourage municipal candidates to commit to women-friendly policies, and ensuring all platform issues to reflect a women-friendly and intersectional lens. The Hot Pink Paper was prepared by Women Transforming Cities, together with self-identified women and girls, and community allies.
Candidates have an option to opt in by filling out the commitment form. Members of the public can view the Hot Pink Paper online and better acquaint themselves with how issues of housing, health care, child care, the environment — and many more — impact self-identified women specifically, with special attention to Indigenous and immigrant women, and all women facing marginalization.
Despite the grey drizzle that morning, the 2018 Hot Pink Paper launch attracted the likes of candidates from COPE Vancouver, Vision Vancouver, One City, The Green Party, Coalition Vancouver, as well as independent mayoral candidate Shauna Sylvester. Members of Women Transforming Cities, including longtime activist and former city councillor, Ellen Woodsworth, took turns speaking on issues of the environment, immigrant women, youth, and Indigenous women and girls.
Community organizations were also present to support the launch and speak on the context of the paper. Samantha Kearney from Battered Women’s Support Services, and Caithlin Scarpelli from Atira Women’s Resource Society, addressed the issue of violence against women, and Viveca Ellis from the Single Mother’s Alliance and their All on Board initiative, spoke about accessible transportation for women and girls.
As the countdown continues to election day, the Hot Pink Paper and its recommendations for a gendered intersectional approach in all civic issues will continue to see light at candidate meetings and mayoral events, helping to set the landscape for civic policy for the municipal campaign.
For more information on the 2018 Hot Pink Paper, see here.
Want to help rabble cover the Vancouver municipal election? Reach out to us at [email protected].
Photo credit: Tania Ehret
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