Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced his intention to terminate the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) program, established during the Trump administration to enhance women’s roles in diplomatic and national security efforts. This initiative, initially sponsored by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in the House and co-sponsored by Senator Marco Rubio, was viewed by Hegseth as a “woke divisive/social justice” agenda that distracts military personnel from their primary focus on combat.
Despite planning to dismantle the program, Hegseth acknowledged the legal requirement to implement its minimum standards while preparing for future budget discussions aimed at fully abolishing it. He criticized WPS as an initiative driven by feminists and left-leaning activists, despite its historical bipartisan support in Congress.
The Women, Peace, and Security Act was signed into law by Trump in 2017, mandating the involvement of the State, Defense, and Homeland Security departments in promoting women’s participation in peace processes. At the time, Noem emphasized the need for women to participate in peace negotiations, a sentiment echoed during a ceremonial signing by then-Speaker Paul Ryan.
The Trump administration further detailed the WPS goals in a 2019 strategy, aiming for women’s meaningful inclusion in conflict resolution. Trump has since highlighted the initiative among his key accomplishments for women on his 2024 campaign platform. Recent remarks by Rubio reaffirmed the significance of the legislation, calling it a pioneering global law focused on protecting women’s rights and integrating them into societal roles. So far, Noem and Rubio have not indicated plans to revoke WPS efforts in their respective departments.
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