The Elimination of the Women, Peace, and Security Implementation Capacity at the Department of State

Description

The Women, Peace and Security Act of 2017, a bipartisan congressional mandate that remains federal law, has been effectively nullified through systematic elimination of implementation capacity. Between January and July 2025, the State Department dismantled the Office of Global Women’s Issues, terminated over 65 expert staff, and suspended active WPS programs in more than 50 countries. This establishes a dangerous precedent of “impoundment by elimination,” where deliberately destroying institutional mechanisms makes executing legislated directives operationally impossible.

Author

Kayla McGill and Rachel Wein

Publication Date

January 12, 2026

Publication

New Lines Institute

Source

https://newlinesinstitute.org/gender-peace-security/the-elimination-of-the-women-peace-and-security-implementation-capacity-at-the-department-of-state

Language

English