In response to the recommendation of the first focal point meeting of the Latin American Network of Women in Fisheries (LANWF), FAO commissioned three studies on the role of women in fisheries in the southeastern part of the American continent, in Argentina (Patagonia and Mar del Plata), Uruguay and Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul). This work resulted in three major studies available in Spanish only on the webpage of INFOPESCA www.infopesca.org. This FAO Fisheries Circular summarizes the main findings of the three studies, to make the outcomes of the studies available on a broader basis. In the processing industry studied, the number of women exceeds the number of male staff. The number of women increases with the degree of complexity of the processing job. Women are considered by plant owners as more capable of carrying out precise tasks. It was generally noted that a high share of women’s salary is used for the purchase of food. Therefore, the creation of jobs in the processing industry will improve food security in the local countries.