“This morning, I proudly ENDED the ‘Women, Peace & Security’ (WPS) program inside the @DeptofDefense,” said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in a Tuesday X post.
He went on to claim that the program was an initiative from the administration of former President Joe Biden. However, that claim is false.
“WPS is yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops — distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING. WPS is a UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists,” said Hegseth. “Politicians fawn over it; troops HATE it. DoD will hereby executive the minimum of WPS required by statute, and fight to end the program for our next budget. GOOD RIDDANCE WPS!”
Readers on X added context to the defense secretary’s post, noting that the Women, Peace, and Security Act was passed in 2017, during the first Trump administration. Per C-SPAN, it was sponsored by current Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
“The Trump Administration is committed to advancing women’s equality, seeking to protect the rights of women and girls, and promoting women and youth empowerment programs,” said an archived document from that previous administration. “The United States Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS Strategy) responds to the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017, which President Donald J. Trump signed into law on October 6, 2017. This is the first legislation of its kind globally, which makes the United States the first country in the world with a comprehensive law on WPS, and de facto, the first with a whole-of-government strategy that responds to such a domestic law.”
In a follow-up X post, Hegseth tried to clarify his previous statement.
“The woke & weak Biden Administration distorted & weaponized the straight-forward & security-focused WPS initiative launched in 2017,” he said. “So – yes – we are ending the ‘woke divisive/social justice/Biden (WPS) initiative.’ Biden ruined EVERYTHING, including ‘Women, Peace & Security.’”
Earlier this month, Hegseth said in a memorandum that: “All entry-level and sustained physical fitness requirements within combat arms positions must be sex-neutral, based solely on the operational demands of the occupation and the readiness needed to confront any adversary.”
He has also said in a podcast that he does not believe that women should serve in combat roles. His comments about women and actions in the secretary role have caused concerns, including some that were covered during his confirmation hearings this year.
Hegseth has also come under fire during his brief time in the defense secretary position for a scandal revolving around the communication of sensitive military information through the Signal messaging app. The Atlantic first reported on the leak after its editor was reportedly erroneously included in one of the chats. POLITICO reported Monday that House Republicans were working to stall a vote regarding questions about Hegseth’s conduct.