Abstract EN:

Following the food shortage crisis of the years 1972-1975, international organizations together with many developing countries showed a special interest in food manufacture, and set forth a series of agressive rural and faming policies. In order to adjust its developing strategies with its motto "food self-sufficiency" by the year 2000", the nation of congo undertook a variety of agricultural policies. Thanks to these policies, a number of measures were taken by the congolese authorities in order to provide food manufacture as well as rural life with adequate assistance. Among those involved in the process, are the women whose role has always been crucial, though quite often on the fringe of society. Indeed, besides their traditional african role as housekeepers, the rural women are actively involved in food crops growing as well as the manufacture and food suppling process of towns. They are also involved in the manufacture of those food crops usually known as males'business. They supply the family with gathering goods such as roots, plants, insects and fruits, which it needs for its survival. But despite such a prominent role within the family, it is unfortunate to note that up to now, the rural women do not enjory adequate supervision, and there has not yet a special interest in their economic status on the part of political authorities. For this very reason, no training is offered to these women so that they could better assist the society in their role. Actually no financial support has been made available to them so that their activities could be modernized for better performances. Such needs are so crucial that most of rural women have organized themselves in systems of tontines to to finance their activites, and these tontines have become the only credible financial institutions among the rural women, though they are still considered as informel institutions. Obviously, they represent a challenge to inefficient governments and insensitive authorities.