President Donald Trump-led US administration plans to restrict federal funding for organisations and governments that support overseas programs on diversity, equity, and gender identity, Politico reported on Wednesday, quoting a US official and nonprofit groups.The policy would block US funding to both American and foreign organisations, including nonprofits, foreign governments, and UN programs, that support “diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) or gender identity initiatives.”According to the US official, the revised approach reflects Trump administration’s broader priorities on “human flourishing,” advancing a “woke agenda” that runs counter to American values.While the term traditionally refers to physical and mental well-being, the Trump administration has framed it to include fighting what it views as a form of racial discrimination and transgender programs as harmful to women, Politico reported.According to the outlet, the policy would mark a significant expansion of the so-called Mexico City Policy, a long-standing Republican initiative that blocks US foreign aid from going to groups involved in abortion-related services, even when funded by non-US sources.A senior state department official told Reuters that the agency “continues to advance President Trump’s American First foreign policy.”The official added that further steps will be taken to close “loopholes that allowed taxpayer funding for promotion of abortion in previous iterations of the Mexico City Policy and expand the scope of the policy to ensure every penny of US foreign assistance prioritises American values, not the woke agenda.”According to Politico, nonprofit groups including the Global Health Council, MSI Reproductive Choices were informed that the new rules are likely to cover all non-military foreign aid, extending to the US-based organisations, foreign entities, UN bodies, and even other governments.
