Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday that he had canceled a program aimed at increasing women's participation in national security. The initiative, known as the Women, Peace and Security Act, was enacted in 2017 under the administration of President Trump, Hegseth's current boss.
In a post on the social media platform X, Hegseth referred to the program as an “another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative” that he believes distracts military leaders and personnel from their primary mission of warfare. He stated that the Pentagon would comply with the program's minimal requirements while working towards its termination.
Hegseth expressed his sentiment by saying, “Good riddance, WPS.”
The U.S. military services had been attempting to implement the program's objectives in various ways. For example, the Air Force encouraged commanders to recognize the differing impacts of conflict on men, women, boys, girls, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. It established working groups to explore the effects of military policies on these diverse populations.
Aides to Hegseth indicated that he had been focusing on this announcement to divert attention from unfavorable news coverage regarding turmoil within the Pentagon. There has been ongoing scrutiny, including an inspector general review concerning Hegseth's use of the commercial chat app Signal to disclose flight sequencing details of American fighter jets involved in Yemen strikes.
In addition, Hegseth has experienced significant turnover in his advisory team, with four members leaving amid accusations of leaking information, and his chief of staff also resigning.
Despite the controversies surrounding his disclosure of sensitive information, Hegseth has maintained that he has not acted improperly. Throughout his tenure, he has consistently targeted diversity and inclusion initiatives. Notably, the Women, Peace and Security Act enjoyed bipartisan support during its signing, backed by several current officials within the Trump administration.