Washington (Europe Brief News) – Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth made a contentious decision by cancelling the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) program through the Pentagon on Tuesday, even though former president Donald Trump established this program by law in 2017 while obtaining vital support from his key officials.
During his first presidential term, Trump enacted the Women, Peace, and Security Act to become the world’s first nation with a systematic policy that promotes female involvement in peace creation and post-conflict security operations. White House officials declared this legislation to be a substantial accomplishment in 2019.
Why did Hegseth cancel it?
The Defence Secretary took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the cancellation, calling WPS “yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops.” He claimed the program distracted from the military’s core mission of “WAR-FIGHTING” and vowed to execute only the minimum requirements while working to fully defund it in the next budget.
Hegseth, without providing evidence, accused the Biden administration of having “distorted & weaponised” the program. Hegseth dedicated himself to dismantling diversity programs after assuming his position as Defence Secretary, and he took steps to end Black History Month observances and remove books, including Maya Angelou’s memoir, from the Naval Academy.
Bipartisan Support Clashes with New Administration Stance
The termination process caused disputes within Trump‘s administration because multiple important officials defended the program at first:
- During his State Department remarks, Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the Women’s Protection and Security Act as “the first comprehensive law passed in any country in the world” dedicated to women’s rights.
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined as an initial proponent of the bill when it was introduced.
- When he was a member of Congress, Mike Waltz supported the creation of the WPS congressional caucus, along with National Security Advisor Waltz.
What’s the fallout?
National security experts have criticised this action because they believe the program benefited the interests of the United States. An unnamed Pentagon official stated that countries such as Norway, which visited the White House to meet Trump, have teamed up with the United States on WPS initiatives.
Full defunding of the Women’s Policy Sustainable program looks likely to result in an impending confrontation between the Pentagon and Congressional WPS backers. The termination represents one more move in an administration-wide initiative to eliminate diversity initiatives despite the Trump administration’s creation.
All observers will watch whether President Trump intercedes to reverse the unexpected shift in policy which emerged from his government.
