Washington: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has terminated a program originally signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2017 that aimed to bolster women’s roles in peacebuilding and national security. The program, known as the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) initiative, was hailed at the time as a groundbreaking step toward integrating women more actively in conflict resolution, post-conflict recovery, and counter-extremism efforts.
The legislation marked the United States as the first country to pass a comprehensive law on the WPS agenda, aligning with long-standing goals outlined by the United Nations Security Council, which first adopted a resolution on the matter in 2000.
Despite the initiative being launched under Trump’s first term and praised by top officials in his administration, Hegseth declared on Tuesday that he had officially ended the program.
“WPS is yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops — distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING,” Hegseth stated on X.
He added that the Department of Defense will now execute only the minimum WPS requirements mandated by statute and aims to eliminate it entirely in the next budget cycle.
“(Department of Defense) will hereby execute the minimum of WPS required by statute, and fight to end the program for our next budget,” he wrote. “GOOD RIDDANCE WPS!”
In a follow-up post, Hegseth accused the previous administration of President Joe Biden of distorting and politicizing what he claimed was originally a straightforward, security-centered initiative.
Since assuming office, Hegseth has launched a broader campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion policies within the Pentagon. His tenure has already seen the discontinuation of identity-based observances, such as Black History Month, and the removal of certain books from the U.S. Naval Academy library, including Maya Angelou’s memoir.
The WPS initiative, despite its termination, remains a significant element of bipartisan legacy. Republican leaders who served in Trump’s first administration, including current Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, were among the original champions of the law.
“President Trump also signed the Women, Peace, and Security Act, a bill that I was very proud to have been a co-sponsor of when I was in the Senate,” Rubio said earlier this month at the State Department.
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“It was the first comprehensive law passed in any country in the world – the first law passed by any country anywhere in the world – focused on protecting women and promoting their participation in society,” he added.
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At the United Nations, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric responded to Hegseth’s remarks by reaffirming the ongoing global relevance of the WPS agenda.
“It’s no secret that women remain largely on the periphery of formal peace processes and decision making, which is not good for the cause of peace,” Dujarric told reporters.
