NASA Ordered to Remove Anything About 'Women in Leadership' from Its Websites

NASA has been directed to remove references to "Women in Leadership" and other diversity-related terms from its websites as part of compliance with President Donald Trump's executive orders aimed at reducing diversity and inclusion initiatives within federal agencies. A memo issued on January 22 instructed employees to "scrub" mentions of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEIA) programs, as well as terms related to underrepresented groups and environmental justice. This directive follows the cancellation of NASA's diversity programs and contracts, which were criticized by the administration as divisive and wasteful. Despite being recognized for its diversity efforts in 2023, NASA's workforce demographics have seen little change over the past decade, with only slight increases in representation for women and minorities. The agency's website is undergoing significant alterations, including the removal of historical milestones related to diversity, such as the 1978 astronaut class that included the first female, Black, and Asian-American astronauts. Additionally, terms like "inclusive" have been replaced with "fair," and the word "inclusion" has been omitted entirely. NASA is also pausing the work of several science committees as it reassesses their alignment with the new directives.

- NASA is removing references to women in leadership and diversity from its websites.

- The changes are in response to President Trump's executive orders targeting diversity initiatives.

- NASA's diversity programs have been canceled, and contracts related to these initiatives are being terminated.

- The agency's workforce demographics have shown minimal progress in diversity over the past decade.

- Historical milestones related to diversity are being removed from NASA's online presence.