Uruguay since the 1970s has slowly undergone a number of changes in its employment structure and productive patterns as a consequence of an increase in trade. Evidence reveals that trade liberalisation led to a decrease in the manufacturing sector but an increase in other sectors, such as agriculture, cattle, retail and tourism, having a strong impact on the employment structure of the country and thus income distribution and female labour participation. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between international trade and income distribution, and in particular how the female labour force is affected by changes in the international economic relationships in Uruguay.