Policy Voices | With dwindling US support, what is the future of the WPS agenda?

Pete Hegseth’s decision to scrap the Women, Peace and Security agenda from the Pentagon came as a surprise given that the Women, Peace and Security Act was signed by Donald Trump in his first mandate as President of the United States. However, this decision cannot be understood in a vacuum and is part of a wider movement targeting diversity, equity and inclusion practices in the US military and elsewhere.

It is also significant that this decision came when Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security from the United Nations Security Council is celebrating its 25th anniversary and countries across Europe are boosting their defence budgets. But this doesn’t mean that we are also seeing an increase in the attention and money being provided to WPS projects. Quite the opposite. And even though Resolution 1325 was successful in starting conversations on why we need to include gender perspectives in peace and security, the work is far from complete.

To discuss the broader implications of Hegseth’s decision, host Catarina Vila Nova sat down with Floor Keuleers, Senior Analyst for Gender and Conflict at the International Crisis Group.

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