Why did Pete Hegseth scrap Pentagon's Women, Peace and Security program that Trump once championed?
, US Defense Secretary, has abruptly banished the Pentagon's
Women, Peace and Security program
as part of his crusade against diversity and equity. He dismissed it as woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative' despite it being a signature Donald Trump achievement from his first term.
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'This morning, I proudly ENDED the 'Women, Peace & Security' (WPS) program inside the [Department of Defense]. WPS is yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops — distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING," Hegseth wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The defense secretary added the program was 'pushed by feminists and left-wing activists', claiming 'Politicians fawn over it; troops HATE it.' As the program is under federal statute and can't be outright killed by Hegseth alone, he said the Pentagon would comply with the minimum requirements of the WPS and fight to end the program during the department's next appropriations process.
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Why is Hegseth's decision raising eyebrows?
The Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) program is a bipartisan effort established by U.S. law in 2017 during President Donald Trump's administration. Its goal is to enhance the involvement of women in global peacekeeping, conflict resolution, and security initiatives. The program is rooted in a 2000 United Nations Security Council resolution that highlighted both the disproportionate impact of conflict on women and their vital contributions to peace and stability. WPS efforts often prioritize placing women in military and diplomatic roles, particularly in regions where cultural or religious norms restrict the effectiveness of male personnel.
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The decision taken by Pete Hegseth is raising eyebrows as the initiative was established during Trump's first administration when he signed the Women, Peace and Security Act in 2017, making the United States the first country in the world to codify standalone legislation on the matter. The Trump campaign even courted women voters by citing the initiative as one of its top accomplishments for women on its website.
Attempting to square this circle, Hegseth later claimed the Biden administration had 'distorted & weaponized' the original program. 'Biden ruined EVERYTHING, including 'Women, Peace & Security,'' he insisted.
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The 2017 Women, Peace and Security Act was penned by current Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, then a member of the House representing South Dakota, and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). The Senate's version of the law was co-sponsored by current Secretary of State Marco Rubio, then a Florida senator. Rubio lauded the Women, Peace and Security Act earlier this month, saying it was 'the first law passed by any country in the world focused on protecting women and promoting their participation in society.'
And Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, a former House member for Florida, was a founding member of the WPS Caucus when he was in Congress. The law was intended to promote the participation of women in all aspects of overseas conflict prevention, management and resolution, as well as postconflict relief and recovery efforts, to be implemented at the State Department, Pentagon and other government agencies.
Ivanka Trump lauded the initiative in 2019, saying she was 'proud to announce' that Colombia would also develop a WPS National Action Plan.
'@POTUS signed into law Women, Peace and Security, making the United States the 1st country in the world to enact #WPS legislation,' she said in a tweet in 2019.
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The WPS program, which originated from a 2000 United Nations security council resolution, was first created to boost women's participation in peace and security planning and protect women from violence in conflict situations.
Iterations of the program have since been widely adopted globally as research has shown that peace agreements with women's participation are more durable.
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