Kimberly Andres-Martinez, 21, studies veterinary technology at Colorado Mountain College. She lives with her parents in Glenwood Springs to save on rent and helps pay their bills through a part-time job.
“I don't want to burden my parents as much, but it's the only way I can still be in the Valley,” she said.
She’s from Los Angeles originally but feels more at home in the mountains. She’d like to stay in Glenwood Springs and dreams of owning a house one day. But right now, that dream feels far away.
“I love Glenwood,” she said. “I love the view. I love the people here. It's just the cost of living is high, and if it keeps going up, I probably won't be able to stay here.”
Economic inequality is a top issue for Colorado women and nonbinary people, according to a statewide poll released on May 28.
The Women’s Foundation of Colorado conducted the inaugural poll this spring, surveying 725 registered voters across the state. Eighty-four percent of respondents said the cost of living is rising faster than their incomes.
According to Louise Myrland, VP of programs, the poll found women are putting off health care, cutting back on retirement savings and taking on debt as a result.
“One woman told us, in order to retire, I would have to sell my home,” she said. “So instead, at age 70, I'm still working.”
To support herself and her family, Andres-Martinez has cut back on doctor and dentist visits, she said. At times, she has turned to social media to answer some of her health questions.
“They do give some good insights that are for free,” she said. “People who have similar issues with their body, or something that you can see yourself reflected in.”
Similar to Andres-Martinez, 42% of poll respondents said they have turned to AI or social media to answer health questions.
Myrland sees women’s reluctance to seek professional medical help as a systemic issue.
“It's a really strong indicator that the current healthcare system isn't working for Colorado women,” she said.
Eighty-nine percent of respondents also said they’re concerned about the “spread of AI-altered images used to harm women and girls.”
Myrland clarified that the question referred to sexually explicit images made with AI without the depicted individual's permission.
Safety was a recurring theme in the poll, with 59% of women 35 and younger concerned about being sexually assaulted.
Another 34% of respondents were concerned about being the victim of a hate crime. That proportion rose to over half for Black and LGBTQ+ respondents.
The foundation hopes the findings will inform policy and give gubernatorial candidates a sense of what matters to women.
On June 7, it’s co-hosting a forum on Rocky Mountain PBS to ask governor candidates questions inspired by the poll’s findings.
