GHANA’S FORMER FIRST LADY, NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS, DIES AT 76
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
Ghana’s former First Lady and prominent women’s rights advocate, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, has died at the age of 76.
She was the widow of the country’s longest-serving leader, Jerry John Rawlings, who died five years ago. Rawlings, a former Air Force officer, led two coups before becoming a democratically elected president and serving two terms.
Agyeman-Rawlings passed away on Thursday morning after a short illness, according to presidential spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu. The BBC reported that her family formally notified President John Mahama of her passing later that afternoon.
Mahama, who leads the National Democratic Congress (NDC) the party founded by her late husband paid tribute to her during the swearing-in ceremony of new High Court Justices on Thursday, describing her as a “trailblazer who dedicated her life to public service and women’s empowerment.”
Born in November 1948 in Cape Coast, Agyeman-Rawlings hailed from a middle-class family and attended Achimota School in Accra, where she met her future husband. She later studied Art and Textiles at university, while Rawlings pursued a career in the military, rising to the rank of Flight Lieutenant by 1978 a year after their marriage.
When Rawlings seized power in 1979 at age 32, Nana Konadu became one of his closest advisers, shaping both his image and his administration’s social policies. The couple went on to form one of Ghana’s most dynamic and sometimes controversial political partnerships.
Together, they had four children, including Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, who now serves as an NDC Member of Parliament.
Agyeman-Rawlings was celebrated for her pioneering work in advancing women’s rights and gender equality. She was instrumental in the 1989 law guaranteeing inheritance rights for women and children, and she contributed to the gender equality provisions in Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, which marked the beginning of multiparty democracy.
She also founded the 31st December Women’s Movement, a grassroots organisation focused on women’s empowerment, entrepreneurship, and community development. The group was named after the date of her husband’s second coup in 1981, which brought him back to power.
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In 2012, Agyeman-Rawlings sought the NDC’s presidential ticket, becoming one of the few women to contest for a major party nomination in Ghana, though she lost the bid.
Tributes have since poured in from across Ghana’s political spectrum and the international community. Parliament adjourned its session in her honour, while social media has been flooded with messages celebrating her as a visionary leader and courageous reformer.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, Richmond Rockson, described her as “an exceptional First Lady whose visionary leadership and organisational acumen left an indelible mark on Ghana’s history.”
“She stood firmly by Chairman Jerry John Rawlings during the revolution, displaying courage, loyalty, and resilience at a defining moment in our nation’s journey,” Rockson said.
“Her unwavering commitment to women’s empowerment led to the establishment of the 31st December Women’s Movement, which she led as president.”
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings leaves behind a profound legacy as a pioneer of women’s rights, political reform, and social justice in Ghana’s modern history.
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