Ghana is in mourning following the death of Nana Konadu Agyeman‑Rawlings, the country’s longest-serving First Lady and a pioneering advocate for women’s rights. She passed away in the early hours of Thursday at the Ridge Hospital (Greater Accra Regional Hospital) in Accra.
Born on 17 November 1948 in Cape Coast in the Central Region, Agyeman-Rawlings attended Ghana International School and Achimota School before studying Art and Textiles at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and later earning an interior design diploma at the London College of Arts.
She married Jerry John Rawlings and first served as First Lady when he led the country under the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) in 1979. She resumed the role during the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) from December 1981 to January 1993 and continued when Rawlings became a civilian president until January 2001.
During her tenure, she transformed the First Lady’s office into a platform for social change. In 1982, she founded the 31st December Women’s Movement, which grew into one of Ghana’s most influential women’s organisations.
After stepping down as First Lady, she remained active in politics. In 2011 she vied for leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and later founded the National Democratic Party (NDP). She became the first woman to run for Ghana’s presidency in 2016.
Her legacy includes a strong voice for gender equality, educational access for women, and community development. Her 2018 book, It Takes a Woman, traces her journey and leadership in Ghana’s public life.
She is survived by her children Zanetor, Yaa Asantewaa, Amina and Kimathi Rawlings. Tributes are pouring in from across Ghana’s political, social and civic spheres.
