The European Commission organized a conference on the role of women in the fisheries sector in Brussels on 23 and 24 January 2003 attended by approximately 200 women from all Member States of the European Union. The conference aimed to give women involved in the industry an opportunity to learn about the experience of women who are their peers, to stimulate the creation of women’s networks and to inform them about the financial support available under various EU programmes. The report is a summary of the main points raised during the conference.