Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, has dissolved a long-standing advisory committee on women in the armed services, accusing it of pursuing a “divisive feminist agenda” that undermines combat readiness.
The Defence Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, established in 1951, had been tasked with gathering information and offering recommendations to the Pentagon on issues affecting female personnel. Press secretary Kingsley Wilson stated that Hegseth is focused on “uniform, sex-neutral standards” across the department.
According to the committee’s website, most of its recommendations had been “fully or partially implemented” over the decades, playing a key role in changing laws and policies regarding women’s service in the US military. The Military Times had earlier reported that the committee was among 14 advisory bodies flagged for possible elimination, though many would require congressional approval to be disbanded.
Wilson shared a link on X to an article from the right-leaning Daily Signal, which highlighted the committee’s concerns about access to reproductive healthcare after the overturning of Roe v Wade as an example of the “feminist agenda” Hegseth opposes.
