Ghana is mourning the death of its former First Lady and renowned women’s rights advocate, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, who passed away at the age of 76.
Agyeman-Rawlings, widow of the late former president Jerry John Rawlings, died on Thursday morning after a brief illness, according to presidential spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu. Her passing comes five years after the death of her husband, the Ghana’s longest-serving leader, who led two military coups before steering the country into multiparty democracy and serving two presidential terms.
The BBC reported that her family formally informed President John Mahama of her death on Thursday afternoon. Mahama, who leads the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the party founded by Jerry Rawlings paid tribute to the late First Lady during the swearing-in ceremony of new High Court judges, describing her as a remarkable figure in Ghana’s political history.
Born in November 1948 in Cape Coast, Nana Konadu came from a middle-class family and attended the prestigious Achimota School in Accra, where she met her future husband. She later studied Art and Textiles at the university level, while Rawlings pursued a career in the Ghana Air Force, rising to the rank of Flight Lieutenant in 1978, a year after their marriage.
By the time Rawlings seized power in 1979 at just 32, Nana Konadu had become one of his closest advisers, helping to shape both his political ideology and his government’s social policies. Together, they formed one of the most influential and at times controversial partnerships in Ghana’s modern political history.
The couple had four children, including Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, now a member of Ghana’s Parliament under the NDC.
Agyeman-Rawlings was celebrated for her lifelong dedication to women’s empowerment. She played a key role in shaping national policy on gender equality, including the 1989 inheritance law protecting the rights of women and children, and the 1992 constitutional provisions that strengthened women’s participation in governance.
Her organisation, the 31st December Women’s Movement, became one of the most powerful advocacy groups in West Africa, promoting entrepreneurship, education, and community development for women.
In 2012, she made her own bid for political leadership, contesting for the NDC’s presidential ticket, though she did not win.
Following news of her death, tributes have poured in across Ghana. Parliament adjourned its sitting in her honour, while social media platforms have been filled with messages celebrating her courage, vision, and trailblazing legacy.
The spokesperson of Ghana’s Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, Richmond Rockson, described her on X as “an exceptional First Lady whose visionary leadership and organisational strength left an indelible mark on Ghana’s history.”
“She stood firmly by Chairman Jerry John Rawlings during the revolution, demonstrating courage, loyalty, and resilience,” he said, adding that her unwavering dedication to women’s empowerment would continue to inspire generations to come.
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