The late Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, who passed away at 76 at the Ridge Hospital in Accra, was Ghana’s longest-serving First Lady. She held this influential role through both the military and civilian governments led by her husband, the late former President Jerry John Rawlings.
She served from June to September 1979 under the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), again from December 1981 to January 1993 under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), and continued throughout her husband’s two constitutional terms until 2001.
Born on November 17, 1948, in Cape Coast, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings’ early education began at the Ghana International School and Achimota School, where she met her future husband, Jerry Rawlings.
She pursued a degree in Art and Textiles at the University of Science and Technology (now KNUST) and later obtained a diploma in interior design from the London College of Arts. Dedicated to continuous education, she also earned diplomas in personnel management and development studies in Ghana, and completed fellowships in philanthropy and nonprofit leadership in the United States.
Far beyond her ceremonial duties, Nana Konadu emerged as a trailblazer in women’s empowerment and political activism.
In 1982, she founded the 31st December Women’s Movement, a grassroots organization that grew to over two million members, dedicated to improving the social, political, and economic lives of women across Ghana.
Her leadership inspired programs in child development, family planning, literacy, and political participation, leaving a permanent imprint on Ghana’s social fabric.
In 2009, she was elected First Vice Chairperson of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). However, she later broke away from the party and in 2012 founded the National Democratic Party (NDP). Her historic 2016 presidential candidacy made her the first woman in Ghana’s history to run for president, a landmark achievement in the nation’s democratic evolution.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings’ influence extended well beyond politics. Under her advocacy, Ghana became the first country to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991 — a monumental step for children’s welfare.
She also championed the Intestate Succession Law (PNDCL 111), which protected widows’ inheritance rights and revolutionized Ghana’s customary law concerning women and property.
Through her leadership, thousands of women gained access to micro-credit, education, and leadership training, enabling them to participate in local governance and public decision-making. By the early 1990s, women’s representation in district assemblies had risen dramatically due to her efforts.
In 2018, she published her autobiography, It Takes a Woman, chronicling her life’s journey from youth to her years of activism and leadership. It was the first of four planned volumes, offering deep insight into her personal resilience and the evolution of women’s empowerment in Ghana.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings will be remembered as a pioneering figure who reshaped Ghana’s political and social landscape. Her unwavering advocacy for women’s rights, education, and equality remains one of the most defining legacies in Ghana’s modern history.
Her life’s work continues to inspire generations of Ghanaian women to lead, serve, and break boundaries — a legacy befitting a woman who truly believed that “It takes a woman to build a nation.”
