CHEYENNE -- Health care, child care and employment and wages top the list of problems experienced by Wyoming women, according to results of a statewide survey released Friday.

The Wyoming Council for Women’s Issues this year contracted with the Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center at the University of Wyoming to interview a random, scientific sample of more than 800 women in the state and then compare results with a similar 2004 survey.

"Women actually speaking up," was one woman's response to a question for the 2009 survey.

"I wish women could get a leg up like men have," was the observation of another survey participant.

"In the Equality State, women don't seem to earn the same as men," was another woman's offering when asked for additional comments.

The results were released at a news conference Friday morning in the State Capitol rotunda.

“Our mission is to improve the quality and equality of life for women in Wyoming. The survey is an important tool that can be used by the Women’s Council to enhance the programs and activities it provides for women in Wyoming," said Carma Corra, a council member.

The survey showed a significant increase in women who reported substance abuse, particularly alcohol, as a serious problem in their communities. This year 78.1 percent of the participants said it was a problem, up 4.4 percent from last year -- and up from 42.1 percent to 51.8 percent compared with the 2004 survey.

Concern with illegal drugs decreased from 39 percent to 30.7 percent.

Other top problems facing women in Wyoming communities are child care, domestic violence and employment.

Five years ago the top problems were substance abuse, employment, domestic violence and child care.

Of the women who personally experienced problems with child care, 43.9 percent said availability was their primary concern.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal and first lady Nancy Freudenthal could not attend the conference but sent a letter noting the "transformational moment in our history," because for the first time women comprise half of the state's work force, make 80 percent of the buying decisions and earn 60 percent of the college degrees awarded every year.

If Wyoming is to move forward on the issues explored in the survey, "it will take a collaborative, broad-reaching approach," the letter said.

One of Nancy Freudenthal's initiatives is to correct the gender wage gap in the state, which has remained essentially unchanged for a decade or more, with women still earning 63 cents for every $1 earned by a man in a full-time job.

Corra noted that Nancy Freudenthal has told women they need to speak up about the disparities in pay. She also told of her own experiences in the workplace and how the differences in pay and treatment were expected and tolerated by women.

"I think part of it is cultural," she said.

One reason often offered to partly explain the gender wage gap is the high salaries paid to oil and gas field workers, who are mostly men.

Nationally, women earn 77.5 percent of what men earn. Wyoming’s gender wage gap is the largest in the nation, according to Census Bureau statistics released in October.

“Clearly, the cost for health care, child care and elder care stand out as personally experienced by Wyoming women both in 2004 and 2009,” said Kim Capron, Women’s Council chairwoman. “These problems should not come as a surprise, because today, whether by choice or necessity, women make up a large portion of the work force. The combination of the wage gap and rocky economic times can be devastating to Wyoming women and their families.”

Contact Joan Barron by e-mail at joan.barron@trib.com or by phone at (307) 632-1244.