Under President Donald Trump’s administration, there has been an erosion of the promotion of women’s rights in the security sector. When signing the executive order targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, Trump referred to them as  “illegal and immoral discrimination.” This directive led to the removal of over 26,000 images and posts celebrating DEI from Pentagon platforms, affecting content that highlighted the contributions of women and minorities in the armed forces. Notably, images of the first women to pass Marine infantry training were among those flagged for removal.

The Army Women’s Museum’s website was taken offline for content review to ensure compliance with the executive order, raising concerns about the erasure of women’s contributions to military history.

In another move, the Air Force removed training materials that included videos about the Tuskegee Airmen and Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), citing broad compliance with the DEI restrictions. The Army even pulled its sexual assault regulations off websites before restoring them.

General Jacqueline Van Ovost, the first woman to head a U.S. military service, was dismissed from her role as Chief of Staff of the Air Force, marking an unprecedented leadership change that many viewed as a step away from gender inclusion in the armed forces.

Trump’s administration also instituted a ban on transgender individuals enlisting in the military, further restricting inclusion in the armed forces.

Internationally, the administration opposed a UN commitment to expanding women’s roles in peacekeeping and security, signaling a shift away from previous U.S. support for the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda.

This shift in policy aligned with a broader global trend, as a UN Women report found that one in four countries reported a backlash against women’s rights in 2024.

These developments seem to collectively signal a rolling back of gender equality in the security sector, challenging long-standing commitments to advancing women’s roles in defense and peacebuilding. SecurityWomen maintains that women’s participation in policing, military and peacekeeping forces improves security for all.