Abigail Richards is a systems strategist and senior movement leader serving as Vice President, Strategy & Operations (Southern California) and Chief Operating Officer at Young Women’s Freedom Center. As a Gambian American, her approach to movement work and leadership is grounded in collective care, liberation, and community-rooted systems change. She is the former Co-Executive Director of YWFC, where she stewarded organizational infrastructure during a period of transformative growth, led the organization’s expansion into Southern California, and helped build the foundation for long-term sustainability and programmatic impact.
In her current role, Abigail anchors regional operations in Southern California while providing organization-wide leadership for HR and Operations across YWFC and its initiatives. She mentors leaders and directors, strengthens systems and organizational culture, and partners closely with senior leadership to ensure statewide alignment, accountability, and measurable impact rooted in the Sister Warriors Freedom Charter. Her work is further informed by international development experience in Egypt, Morocco, Malawi, and The Gambia, where she supported refugee communities and partnered with government and diplomatic institutions on women’s empowerment initiatives.
