Algerian women’s movements radically reshaped Algerian society and catalyzed powerful changes in the status of women’s empowerment from the 1950’s to the present day. These changes occurred in the context of intense anti-colonial, independence and post-independence movements. This paper proposes that women’s ongoing activism - through social transitions and changing priorities - has been an instrumental force in Algeria’s political, social and economic development into the 21st century. The paper examines the evolving roles of Algerian women through four periods of historical activism: anti-French colonialist struggle (1954 – 1962), post-independence emancipation movements (1962 – 1992), the war on civilians (“civil war”) from 1992 to 2000, and the post-war reconciliation period to the present time. Through the lenses of gender and women’s studies, sociology, political science and psychology, this paper proposes that the evolving movements of Algerian women propelled significant changes for both ruling elites and Algerian society as a whole. The paper also seeks to demonstrate that Algerian women’s resistance to terrorist/state violence, and their struggle for freedom is embedded in a continuous trajectory towards equal rights and emancipation. Among the topics examined are gender relations during the freedom fighter movement, the role of women in male-dominated politics, violence against women, the role of Islam in shaping women’s identity; and women’s emerging roles in a conservative society, the labor force, politics and economic development. Both female and male perspectives will inform the research. The study is based on oral interviews with Algerian informants and on the analyses of Danièle D. Amrane Minne, Assia Djebar, Fatima Mernissi, Germaine Tillon, Hubertine Auclert, Andrée Dore Audibert, Pierre Bourdieu and other scholars. This paper will incorporate the voices of Arabic, French and English authors/researchers, and use primary sources, oral histories, historical documents and audio-visual resources.