Minister Hegseth disbands women's advisory board in the army, speaks of “feminist agenda”

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has dissolved the Advisory Committee on Women in the Armed Forces, which had been in existence since 1951 and was one of the Pentagon's oldest advisory bodies. The committee made recommendations on the recruitment, integration, support, and equal treatment of female soldiers.

During its existence, it submitted over 1,100 recommendations, 94 percent of which, according to available data, were implemented in whole or in part, thus significantly shaping policy for women in the military.

Hegseth justified the dissolution by claiming that the committee was pursuing a “divisive feminist agenda” that, in his view, jeopardized operational readiness. He emphasized that his goal was to introduce uniform, gender-neutral standards throughout the Department of Defense.

At the same time, the Pentagon ended other diversity and inclusion initiatives, including a 2017 program to strengthen the role of women in the security sector.

Hegseth also canceled celebrations for identity months such as Black History Month, and several books were removed from the Naval Academy, including the memoirs of writer Maya Angelou.

(reuters, max)