As seen in the budget pie chart, the distribution of federal payments is heavily weighted toward military expenditures. Investments in programs that guarantee a social safety net for low-income people, fund vital local services, and enrich the infrastructure of the country are seriously underfunded. In addition to the kinds of investments listed below, the government could enhance women's economic potential through policies such as full employment, a guaranteed adequate annual income, an increase in the minimum wage, universal access to health care, and the guarantee of child care for all who need it.

High levels of military spending are particularly damaging to women's economic prospects because women are severely under-represented in the military and in military contractor jobs, and because military spending creates fewer jobs than civilian spending. When the government spends money in the military sector, spending on consumer goods, state and local governments, schools, health care, and day care lose out, all sectors that have high concentrations of women. One billion transferred from military spending to civilian investment would create a net gain of 6,800 jobs, which means that a $350 billion transfer from military to civilian spending would create over 2 million jobs in five years¹.

Investments of $350 billion could be made in social investments over five years through military cuts as outlined elsewhere in this resource. Following are examples of investments that could be made²:

Education: $40 billion

Increase funding for Head Start, Compensatory Education, Student Aid, enforcement of the Women's Educational Equity Act

Infrastructure: $45 billion

Increase spending for highways, bridges and airports, Mass Transit, Amtrak, Wastewater Collection and Treatment

Environment: $20 billion

Increase funding for Superfund cleanup, Municipal Solid Waste Program, Groundwater Protection, Forestry and Conservation, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation

Housing: $55 billion

Increase investment in Public Housing and support services for the homeless

Income Support: $60 billion

Increase investment in Child Care, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Supplemental Security Income, Low-Income Energy Assistance, Unemployment Compensation

Health Care: $50 billion

Expand Medicaid, increase funding for Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, Community and Migrant Health Centers, the Family Planning Program, the Child Immunization Program, Office of Research on Women's Health

Nutrition: $20 billion

Expand the Women's, Infants and Children's Program (WIC), the Older Americans Act Nutrition Programs, School Breakfast, Child Care, and Summer Food Programs, and Food Stamps

Employment & Training: $25 billion

Increase funding for the Economic Dislocation and Worker Act, Senior Community Services Employment Program, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Wage and Hour Administration, and new initiatives to provide training targeted for low-income women

Special Women's Programs: $15 billion

Increase funding for Violence Against Women Act, Older Americans Act, Displaced Homemakers Self-sufficiency Act, transition programs and services for women entering the job market, the Women's Bureau

International Relations: $20 billion

Increase funding for US development assistance for women, support goals of the Fourth World Conference on Women, pay debt to UN and increase contribution

Total Investments: $350 billion