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 led two military coups before twice being elected president under Ghana’s multiparty system.
The former first lady passed away on Thursday morning after a short illness, according to presidential spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu.
As reported by the BBC, her family formally notified President John Mahama of her passing on Thursday afternoon.
Mahama, who leads the National Democratic Congress party, founded by Jerry Rawlings, paused to honour the memory of the late Agyeman-Rawlings during the swearing-in of new High Court Justices on Thursday.
Born in November 1948 in Cape Coast, Agyeman-Rawlings came from a middle-class background and attended the prestigious Achimota School in Accra, where she met her future husband.
She later studied art and textiles at university, while Rawlings joined the Air Force, rising to the rank of flight lieutenant in 1978—the year after their marriage.
By the time Rawlings seized power in 1979 at age 32, Nana Konadu had become one of his most trusted advisers.
Together, they formed one of Ghana’s most dynamic and controversial political partnerships.
The couple had four children, including their eldest, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, who now serves as an NDC member of parliament.
Through her advocacy, Agyeman-Rawlings helped shape national policy on women’s rights.
She was instrumental in the 1989 law that guaranteed inheritance rights for women and children and contributed to the gender equality provisions in Ghana’s 1992 constitution, which ushered in the era of multiparty democracy.
Ghana’s parliament adjourned in her honour, while social media has since been flooded with tributes celebrating her life as a pioneering politician and tireless advocate for women’s rights.
The spokesperson of the country’s Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, Richmond Rockson, in a statement via X, extolled Nana as “an exceptional First Lady whose visionary leadership and strong organisational skills 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.
“Her unwavering commitment to women’s empowerment led to the establishment of the 31st December Women’s Movement, which she led as president,” the statement read.
Agyeman-Rawlings was herself a political figure who sought the NDC’s presidential ticket in 2012 but lost the bid.
Her organisation, Women’s Movement, aimed at empowering women and promoting community development through entrepreneurship and education.
The organisation was named after the date of her husband’s second coup in 1981. (Punch)
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