The U.S. government is taking steps to “defend women” — that is, by requiring agencies to “take prompt actions” to end anything related to “gender ideology” across the government, including at the U.S. Agency for International Development.
On Wednesday, Charles Ezell — acting director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, or OPM, — sent a memorandum across the federal government, titling it “Initial Guidance Regarding President Trump’s Executive Order Defending Women.”
By 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, government agencies are required to “review all agency programs, contracts, and grants, and terminate any that promote or inculcate gender ideology,” and similarly evaluate all agency positions. Everyone who works on gender issues (in the terms defined above) will be placed on paid administrative leave, effective immediately.
About the author
Elissa Miolene
Elissa Miolene reports on USAID and the U.S. government at Devex. She previously covered education at The San Jose Mercury News, and has written for outlets like The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washingtonian magazine, among others. Before shifting to journalism, Elissa led communications for humanitarian agencies in the United States, East Africa, and South Asia.
