Pete Hegseth proud to cancel Donald and Ivanka Trump-backed “woke” program

You don’t often see a Fox News host-turned-Defense Secretary brag about reversing a policy spearheaded by the very president who hired him. But that’s exactly what Pete Hegseth appears to have done, proudly axing a Pentagon initiative once heralded by Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump as a landmark foreign policy win.

The program in question is the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) initiative, a U.S. defense policy rooted in a 2000 United Nations resolution and codified into law in 2017 under Trump’s own signature. WPS wasn’t just a box-checking exercise – it aimed to support the involvement of women in military and peace processes around the world. The thinking, supported by piles of UN data and bipartisan consensus, was straightforward: peace efforts are more likely to stick when women are at the table.

‘This morning, I proudly ENDED the “Women, Peace & Security” (WPS) program inside the Dept of Defense,’ Hegseth posted.

‘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. 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!’

As you can see from the X post above (assuming Elon Musk hasn’t removed it) readers added some fact checking.

What the Women, Peace, and Security program did

At the Department of Defense, WPS was far from symbolic. It was being used to train U.S. forces in gender-aware conflict strategies, influence joint operations with allies, and strengthen women’s roles in partner nations’ defense systems. From Afghanistan to West Africa, the program helped improve outcomes in areas such as peacekeeping, intelligence sharing, and civilian protection.

It wasn’t about putting pink helmets on soldiers or making recruitment ads friendlier. The program was designed to make military missions more effective and sustainable, especially in regions where women and girls are disproportionately affected by violence.

But that nuance didn’t stop Hegseth from swinging the axe.

It’s worth noting that Ivanka Trump once led a high-profile campaign supporting WPS, calling it a “priority” that aligned with her broader push for women’s economic empowerment. In 2019, she helped launch the first government-wide strategy on the issue, highlighting women’s role in global security as “not just a moral imperative, but a strategic one.” Her father signed the bipartisan Women, Peace, and Security Act into law in 2017, making the U.S. the first country in the world to do so.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also somewhat postive about the program at the time.

‘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, and 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.’

Hegseth’s decision has ignited sharp criticism not just from Democrats and human rights advocates, but also from some Republicans who see it as a shortsighted move that undermines a successful Trump-era initiative. Former military commanders have warned that scrapping WPS could harm America’s global partnerships, particularly with nations where the U.S. has invested in gender-based defense reforms.

Where does this leave the WPS?

Gone from the Pentagon, for now. But not entirely dead. Several State Department and USAID programs based on the WPS framework are still in place. And in Congress, some lawmakers are already looking for ways to force the Department of Defense to revisit the decision, perhaps tying WPS compliance to next year’s military funding bill.

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