Women in Wisconsin have significantly increased their participation in the workforce but still suffer from gender and racial inequalities, according to a report released last week.

Wisconsin women are among the most likely in the nation to work and have achieved gains in earnings, business ownership and educational attainment.

However, they still experience a substantial gender-wage gap, are more likely to hold jobs with poverty-level wage and are at risk from a growing lack of private health insurance, according to Laura Dresser, associate director of the University of Wisconsin's Center on Wisconsin Strategy, which compiled the report.

"The women of Wisconsin should be proud of the deep commitment and contribution to Wisconsin's economic health that these data prove," Dresser said. "But continuing wage disparity, declining health insurance security and extreme racial inequality continue to challenge the women of the state."

The report, also released by the Wisconsin Women's Council, said the median wage of $12.62 cents an hour, adjusted for inflation, represents a 22 percent growth from 1979 to 2005. The median wage, though, is 25 percent below men.

More than 66 percent of Wisconsin women participate in the workforce, ranking fifth in the nation.

"Slow progress for Wisconsin women and backsliding in areas such the gender-wage gap and health insurance coverage are a call to action for policy makers and community leaders," said Christine Lidbury, executive director of the Women's Council. "Wisconsin women, particularly women of color, continue to face substantial economic barriers to equality."

According to the report, the median hourly wage of a black or Hispanic woman in Wisconsin averages 31 percent less than white women and nearly 73 percent less than the average wage of a white man.

One-fourth of Wisconsin women have four-year college degrees, but educational achievement varies by race and ethnicity.

The number of Hispanic, black and Native American women with at least a four-year college degree is about two times fewer than the number of white women with similar education and nearly three times the number of Asian women.

Wisconsin also ranks low in the number of women employed in managerial and professional positions, with 29.8 percent compared to 35.5 percent nationally.

The report also reveals that though women in the Midwest are among the most likely in the nation to receive health insurance, Wisconsin has experienced a significant decline from 73 percent of employer-sponsored coverage in 1979 to 57 percent in 2004.

UW Women's Studies professor Rima Apple said the recent increase in health insurance costs is one of the factors of the decrease in coverage for women.

"Because of the gender nature of the workforce, women are often in those lower-paid positions where it's easier to cut benefits such as health care," Apple said.

State officials have not yet released reactions to the report.