AfP Urges Continued Implementation of the WPS Act at the U.S. Department of Defense
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2025
CONTACT
Nick Zuroski | nick@allianceforpeacebuilding.org
Washington, DC, USA — The Alliance for Peacebuilding, a network of 235 organizations working in 181 countries to build sustainable peace, is deeply concerned about yesterday’s announcement by the U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to “end” the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) “program” at the Department of Defense (DoD) and urges the Secretary to reconsider this decision. The WPS Act is not a program, but a bipartisan law signed by President Trump in 2017. The WPS Act recognizes that while women are disproportionately impacted by violent conflict, they are not just victims—they are agents of peace. At a time of record-breaking global conflict, the elimination of WPS at DoD, one of the key implementing agencies, will undermine U.S. national security and destabilize efforts to prevent and resolve conflict.
The evidence-based WPS Act requires the development of two cross-government strategies and agency-specific implementation plans by DoD, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and USAID. WPS has long been considered a cost-effective investment by bipartisan leaders, including members of the current Trump Administration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was an original co-sponsor of the bill in the Senate; Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem introduced it in the House; and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has been a staunch advocate for WPS, including serving as the founding Republican Co-Chair of the bipartisan House WPS Caucus. Most notably, lifelong military officials have consistently espoused the value of WPS, including the recently confirmed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of State, Lieutenant Colonel John D. Caine.
Since its enactment, DoD has made important strides in implementing the WPS Act by elevating women’s voices and leadership in peace and security processes and partnerships—all of which advanced U.S. national interests while promoting peace and stability globally. Since 2017, DoD senior leaders have empowered WPS Advisors within the Department to help strengthen U.S. and partner security forces’ capacities and foster supportive environments to increase women’s participation in the security sector and security modernization globally. The integration of WPS in complex military operations has proved vital to enhancing effectiveness, improving partnerships, addressing conflict-related sexual violence, and building community relationships.
At less than $5 million annually, the WPS Act provides DoD significant returns on investment toward preventing and resolving violent conflict, strengthening security alliances, and delivering a low-cost, high-yield uncontested advantage over U.S. competitors. If the Trump Administration is serious about measuring its success by “the wars that we end—and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into,” then it is critical to continue to implement the WPS Act in DoD. Integrating the bipartisan WPS Act throughout DoD operations, activities, and investments gives the U.S. strategic and tactical advantages and we urge the Secretary to reconsider his decision.
The Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP), named the “number one influencer and change agent” among peacebuilding institutions worldwide, is an award-winning nonprofit and nonpartisan network of 235 organizations working in 181 countries to prevent and reduce violent conflict and build sustainable peace. AfP cultivates a network to strengthen and advance the peacebuilding field, enabling peacebuilding organizations to achieve greater impact—tackling issues too large for any one organization to address alone.