Ghana’s Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings has reportedly passed away.
She is said to have died on Thursday, October 23, 2025 at the Ridge Hospital in Accra. She was 76 years old.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was the wife of the later former President Jerry John Rawlings while he served as President of Ghana.
Details surrounding her death are yet to be disclosed as the family is yet to issue an official statement.
She served as Ghana’s First Lady from June 4, 1979, to September 24, 1979, under the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), and again from December 31, 1981, to January 6, 1993, under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).
She continued in the role during her husband’s two constitutional terms from January 7, 1993 to January 6, 2001.
She founded the National Democratic Party (NDP) after she left the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and became the first Ghanaian lady to run for Presidency.
She also established the 31st December Women’s Movement in 1982, empowering Ghanaian women through entrepreneurship, education and political participation.
She was part of the dignitaries who laid wreaths at the Forecourt of the Jubilee House to honour the eight public servants who recently lost their lives in a helicopter accident in August 2025.
She was recently present at the Dote Yie funeral rites for the late Asantehemaa, Nana Konadu Yiadom III.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was accompanied by two of her adult children, Amina Agyeman-Rawlings and Kimathi Agyeman-Rawlings. The three took turns to console Otumfuo Osei Tutu II on the loss of the Asantehemaa.
Profile of Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was born on November 17, 1948 at Cape Coast, Ghana.
As a Christian, she married former President Jerry John Rawlings in 1977 until his death in 2020. They gave birth to four children; Zanetor, Yaa Asantewaa, Amina and Kimathi Rawlings.
She hails from the Ashanti Region. The former First Lady of Ghana is globally known for women’s rights advocate.
Education
- Ghana International School; Achimota School
- B.A. in Graphic Design (1972) – KNUST
- Diploma in Interior Design (1975) – London College of Arts
- Diploma in Advanced Personnel Management (1979) – Management Development & Productivity Institute, Ghana
- Development Certificate (1991) – GIMPA
- Executive Courses (mid-1990s) – Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies, USA
Early Career
- Interior decorator and manager, Union Trading Company (UTC), Accra
- By 1979: Group Manager of UTC’s Display Department
- Skills in organization and communication shaped later activism
Political and Activist Career
•Founded: 31st December Women’s Movement (early 1980s)
•Party Leadership:
- 1st Vice Chairperson, National Democratic Congress (NDC) – 2010
- Challenged President Atta Mills for NDC nomination – 2011 (unsuccessful)
- Founded: National Democratic Party (NDP) – 2012
- Presidential Candidate: NDP – 2016 & 2020 (first female presidential candidate in Ghana; ~0.16% votes in 2016)
• By 2024: Stepped back from active leadership; succeeded by Mohammed Frimpong
As First Lady (1979, 1981–2001)
- Promoted maternal health, education, and women’s empowerment
- Helped Ghana become the first country to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Represented Ghana at international conferences, including UN Special Session on Women (2000)
- Turned the First Lady’s office into a platform for grassroots development
- Expanded rural health clinics, maternity care, and literacy programs
- Instrumental in building over 870 community preschools via the Women’s Movement
31st December Women’s Movement
• Founded: Early 1980s; named after the December 31, 1981 revolution
• Mission: Economic empowerment, family welfare, and gender equality
• Achievements:
- Microfinance, literacy, health, and child development projects
- Advocacy for women’s rights and inheritance reforms
- Influenced 1991 Intestate Succession Law (widows’ rights)
- Boosted women’s political participation – 19 women MPs elected in 1992
- Over 2 million members by 2001; largest women’s group in Africa
• Became a model for women’s NGOs across Africa
Later Life
- Continued leadership of 31st December Women’s Movement post-2001
- Published memoir: It Takes a Woman (2018)
- Remains active in advocacy and public speaking on gender and development
- 2025: Officially succeeded by Mohammed Frimpong as NDP leader
Awards & Recognitions
- Woman for Peace Award (1994) – International peace recognition
- Honorary Doctorate (1995) – Lincoln University, USA
- Senior Fellow (1994) – Johns Hopkins University Institute for Policy Studies
- Soka Women’s College Award (1997, Japan)
- Ghana Excellence Award (1999)
- European Market Award (2001, Belgium)
- Nigeria National Award (2004)
Publications
- Authored It Takes a Woman (2018)
- Continues advocacy and public speaking
Personal Traits & Interests
- Energetic, approachable, community-focused
- Enjoys swimming, dancing, camping, collecting dolls
- Strong belief: “Women hold the key to breaking the cycle of poverty.”
Source:Lovinghananews.com
