Chilika is the largest lagoon along the east coast of India, and one of the main sources of capture fisheries of Orissa and supports food and livelihood security to more than 100 thousand fishers living in 132 villages situated in and around the lagoon. Participatory study was conducted in four sectors of Chilika lagoon at eight villages namely Jaggannathpur (northern sector); Nairi, Kainchipur and Chandraput (central sector); Binchanapalli, Gouranga Patana & Gajpati Nagar (southern sector); and Arkakhuda (outer channel) to understand the role of fisherwomen in Chilika lagoon fisheries. The role played by the fisherwomen was diverse ranging from bringing fish catch from ghat (bank), selling of fish, grading and segregation of fish, fish drying, prawn and fish seed collection, repairing of nets and carrying food to the ghat. Selling of fish was done totally by fisherwomen in north, south and outer channel sector while only sixty percent fisher women were involved in southern sector. Grading and segregation of fish before selling is exclusive domain of fisherwomen. In Outer channel prawn and fish seed collection was exclusively done by the fisherwomen. As part of drudgery of work, fisherwomen recorded collection of firewood and selling of fish as the most difficult job. In terms of women income generation activities for the family, selling of fish was the highest income earning activity followed by fish drying, daily wage earning and prawn seed collection (only in outer channel).