Ashley Lidow is the Chief Strategy Officer at the Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN), where she leads the organization’s policy, advocacy, and community engagement strategies. A seasoned policy and advocacy leader with more than a decade of experience advancing gender justice, reproductive freedom, and economic equity in South Carolina, Ashley has been at the forefront of nearly every major policy victory since WREN’s founding.

Her leadership has helped position South Carolina as part of national strategies for advancing gender justice by sharing successful approaches and lessons with partners across the country. She has also secured landmark laws and budget wins including pregnancy accommodations, lactation and contraceptive access, paid parental leave, ending the shackling of pregnant inmates, and the repeal of the sales tax on period products. Known for her ability to build broad coalitions and navigate complex political landscapes, Ashley brings together policymakers, partners, and communities to drive sustainable change.

Beyond WREN, Ashley serves on multiple statewide and national advisory bodies, including the South Carolina Department of Social Services Advisory Board, the South Carolina Maternal Health Task Force, the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council Advocates Advisory Board, and the Board of Power in Changing. She was also named a Riley Fellow through the Riley Institute’s Diversity Leaders Initiative in 2023.

Ashley holds a Master of Public Health from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Arts in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado Boulder.