Report Says Women Losing Ground in National Security

A Senate Democrats' report documents the removal of mechanisms that advanced women's roles in U.S. national security.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Women’s Issues

Report Says Women Losing Ground in National Security

Live Poll

Should the federal government prioritize women's representation in national security positions?

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats released a report documenting the removal of institutional mechanisms that advanced women's roles in U.S. national security. Women's share of Cabinet-level positions fell to 17.4%, down from 52% under the Biden administration.

Why it matters

The report points to a sharp reversal in the representation of women across the Pentagon, State Department and foreign aid programs. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he ended the Women, Peace and Security initiative, describing it as a program that overburdened commanders.

Eight of 201 candidates for senior military posts this year were women, and no women currently serve as active-duty four-star officers. Of 196 ambassadorships, 93 remain unfilled, and fewer than 25 diplomatic missions worldwide are led by female ambassadors.

The players

Pete Hegseth

Hegseth is the U.S. Defense Secretary who said he ended the Women, Peace and Security initiative, which he described as overburdening commanders.

Marco Rubio

Rubio is the U.S. Secretary of State who told lawmakers in May 2025 that the Office of Global Women's Issues functions would be transferred to regional bureaus.

The details

The State Department's Office of Global Women's Issues functions were transferred to regional bureaus, and the department ended hiring practices it considers discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion policies. The administration also terminated 86% of USAID awards involving maternal and child health, and has not used $112 million Congress passed for the strategy for fiscal year 2026.

2017: President Trump signed the Women, Peace and Security Act.
2019: A global women's economic development initiative was launched.
May 2025: Rubio told lawmakers Global Women's Issues functions would transfer to regional bureaus.
2025: Hegseth stated the program was ended after the current administration took office.
Fiscal year 2026: $112 million for the strategy remains unused.

Roadmap

The 2017 Women, Peace and Security Act established a framework for integrating women into U.S. national security, and the current reductions reverse that framework. The shift reflects a broader policy break from the Biden administration's approach to women's representation in senior government roles.

Readers interested in the issue can review the committee's findings and contact their representatives in Congress about funding for the Women, Peace and Security strategy. Those tracking the appropriation can monitor whether the $112 million for fiscal year 2026 is released.

The takeaway

Changes to the structures that promote women in national security can alter representation for years, so tracking appointments and funding decisions shows where policy is heading. Readers can follow the unused appropriation as an indicator of program priorities.