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Former First Lady of Ghana, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, has died at the age of 76 at the Ridge Hospital in Accra.
Reports indicate that she had been unwell for some time and was receiving medical attention before her passing. Details surrounding her death remain unconfirmed, as neither her family nor hospital officials have released an official statement.
Nana Konadu was the wife of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings and a towering figure in Ghanaian politics and social development. She was celebrated for her lifelong commitment to women’s rights, community empowerment, and national development.
A Trailblazer in Women’s Empowerment
Born on 17 November 1948 in Cape Coast, in Ghana’s Central Region, to the late J.O.T. Agyeman, Nana Konadu’s influence stretched across several decades of Ghana’s political and social history.
In 1984, she founded the 31st December Women’s Movement (DWM), a groundbreaking non-governmental organisation that focused on advancing women’s education, entrepreneurship, and political participation. Under her leadership, the DWM grew into one of Ghana’s most influential advocacy movements, promoting gender equality and grassroots development.
Political Career and Party Leadership
A prominent member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nana Konadu served as the party’s First Vice Chairperson in 2009. Two years later, in 2011, she made history as the first woman to contest a sitting president—John Evans Atta Mills—for the NDC’s presidential nomination at the party’s congress in Sunyani. Although she did not succeed, the move solidified her reputation as a determined and independent political voice.
In October 2012, after parting ways with the NDC, she established the National Democratic Party (NDP), becoming its presidential candidate in the 2016 general election.
Education and Early Career
Nana Konadu began her education at Achimota School and later attended the University of Science and Technology (now KNUST), where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, specialising in Textiles. She went on to pursue further studies, obtaining a Diploma in Interior Design from the London College of Arts.
Her academic journey also included a Diploma in Advanced Personnel Management from Ghana’s Management Development and Productivity Institute (1979), a Certificate in Development from GIMPA (1991), and a Senior Fellow Diploma in Policy Studies from Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, USA, in 1994.
Professionally, she worked with the Ghana Tourist Board and the Union Trading Company (UTC) in Accra before dedicating her life to public service and social advocacy.
Personal Life and Legacy
In 1977, she married Jerry John Rawlings, then an officer in the Ghana Air Force. Their union produced four children — Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Yaa Asantewaa Rawlings, Amina Rawlings, and Kimathi Rawlings — forming one of Ghana’s most influential political families.
As First Lady from 1981 to 2001, Nana Konadu redefined the role, championing causes that uplifted women and children across Ghana. Her 31st December Women’s Movement remains a lasting testament to her passion for equality and national progress.
Her last public appearance was on 18 September 2025, when she attended the final funeral rites of the Asantehemaa, Nana Konadu Yiadom III, at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, accompanied by her children.
