The women's 100 metres hurdles sprint competition of the athletics events at the 1979 Pan American Games took place at the Estadio Sixto Escobar.
[1][2] The defending Pan American Games champion was Edith Noeding of Peru.
Prior to this competition, the existing world and Pan American Games records were as follows: All times are in seconds.
Deby LaPlante's winning time of 12.90 seconds in the final was not registered as a Pan American record because of wind conditions.
[3] [4] Wind:Heat 1: +3.4 m/s, Heat 2: +2.8 m/s Wind: +3.9 m/s