Algerian women navigate through authoritarianism Algerians learned in their Arab Spring in the 1990s that an alliance with the military-backed regime is more preferable than falling under the Shari’a ruling of the Islamists. As agents of change since Algeria’s struggle for independence from France in the 1950s, Algerian women have launched a strong alliance with President Abdel Aziz Bouteflika to advance their rights. As strong feminists, business oriented, and firm believers in promoting equality of all Algerians, Algerian women support Bouteflika’s socio-economic campaign because they believe that it guarantees the advancement of women’s rights and prevents the Islamists from taking over. Bouteflika came to power in 1999 as Algeria was trying to heal after a civil war that left over 200,000 dead in the 1990s. Although the Islamists won in Algeria’s first democratic election since its independence, neither the Algerians nor the regime were ready to relinquish power to the Islamists who threatened to take Algeria back to the middle ages. Today, Bouteflika’s authoritarian rule has been challenged by many disgruntled Algerians who have economic grievances and wish to see a regime change. However, many Algerians have abandoned the urge to join their neighbors in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya to remove him. To them, Bouteflika’s secular policies are the strongest weapon they can use to counter Algerian Islamist political agenda and to promote women’s rights outside Shari’a law. This study is based on nine interviews with women conducted in Algiers and Oran, and academic historiography on Algeria.