By Nurudeen Nasara Hafsah
Ghana’s longest-serving First Lady and a pioneering figure in the nation’s politics, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, has died at the age of 76. She passed away on the morning of Thursday, October 23, 2025, at the Ridge Hospital in Accra after a period of illness.
Her passing marks the close of a monumental chapter in Ghana’s history, silencing a powerful voice that championed women’s empowerment for decades. A lead-founder of the 31st December Women’s Movement and Ghana’s first female presidential candidate, her legacy is one of resolute activism and transformative social change that forever altered the landscape of opportunity for Ghanaian women.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was born on November 17, 1948, in Cape Coast. She attended the prestigious Achimota School, where she met her future husband, the late President Jerry John Rawlings. She further studied Art and Textiles at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and earned a diploma in interior design from the London College of Arts.
Her tenure as First Lady, from 1979 and then again from 1981 to 2001, was unprecedented and transformative. She radically redefined the role, moving beyond ceremonial duties to become a driving force for social justice. In 1982, she founded the 31st December Women’s Movement, an organization that empowered countless women through initiatives in entrepreneurship, education, and political participation.
Her advocacy had a direct and lasting impact on Ghana’s legal framework. As noted in a tribute, she was a key advocate behind the Intestate Succession Law, a landmark reform that provided crucial legal protection for widows and children upon the death of a spouse.
In her political career, Nana Konadu demonstrated immense courage and determination. After breaking away from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), she founded the National Democratic Party (NDP). In the 2016 general elections, she made history by becoming the first woman to run for President of Ghana, shattering a significant political glass ceiling and inspiring a new generation.
Even in her later years, she remained active in public life. Her last major public appearances were in 2025, where she joined other dignitaries to honor public servants who died in a helicopter accident and attended the final funeral rites of the Asantehemaa in Kumasi, accompanied by her children.
Her passing has been met with an outpouring of respect and grief. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, a Member of Parliament, eulogized her as “a force in the politics of Ghana” whose contributions to national development “can never be erased”.
Ghana’s longest-serving First Lady and a pioneering figure in the nation’s politics, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, has died at the age of 76. She passed away on the morning of Thursday, October 23, 2025, at the Ridge Hospital in Accra after a period of illness.
Her passing marks the close of a monumental chapter in Ghana’s history, silencing a powerful voice that championed women’s empowerment for decades. A founding leader of the 31st December Women’s Movement and Ghana’s first female presidential candidate, her legacy is one of resolute activism and transformative social change that forever altered the landscape of opportunity for Ghanaian women.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was born on November 17, 1948, in Cape Coast. She attended the prestigious Achimota School, where she met her future husband, the late President Jerry John Rawlings. She further studied Art and Textiles at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and earned a diploma in interior design from the London College of Arts.
Her tenure as First Lady, from 1979 and then again from 1981 to 2001, was unprecedented and transformative. She radically redefined the role, moving beyond ceremonial duties to become a driving force for social justice. In 1982, she founded the 31st December Women’s Movement, an organization that empowered countless women through initiatives in entrepreneurship, education, and political participation.
Her advocacy had a direct and lasting impact on Ghana’s legal framework. As noted in a tribute, she was a key advocate behind the Intestate Succession Law, a landmark reform that provided crucial legal protection for widows and children upon the death of a spouse.
In her political career, Nana Konadu demonstrated immense courage and determination. After breaking away from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), she founded the National Democratic Party (NDP). In the 2016 general elections, she made history by becoming the first woman to run for President of Ghana, shattering a significant political glass ceiling and inspiring a new generation.
Even in her later years, she remained active in public life. Her last major public appearances were in 2025, where she joined other dignitaries to honor public servants who died in a helicopter accident and attended the final funeral rites of the Asantehemaa in Kumasi, accompanied by her children.
Her passing has been met with an outpouring of respect and grief. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, a Member of Parliament, eulogized her as “a force in the politics of Ghana” whose contributions to national development “can never be erased”. Okay
