Former First Lady of Ghana, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, has passed away at the Ridge Hospital in Accra at the age of 76. Family sources confirmed her death to CitiNewsroom.
Nana Konadu was the wife of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings and Ghana’s longest-serving First Lady. Her tenure spanned both military and civilian administrations led by her husband from June to September 1979 under the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), and from December 1981 to January 1993 under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC). She continued in the role during President Rawlings’ two constitutional terms from 1993 to 2001.
Beyond her ceremonial duties, Nana Konadu was a trailblazer in women’s empowerment and political activism. She founded the 31st December Women’s Movement, which championed gender equality and social development. In 2012, she broke away from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to form the National Democratic Party (NDP), under whose banner she contested the 2016 presidential election becoming the first woman to run for Ghana’s presidency.
Although her 2012 bid was disqualified by the Electoral Commission for failing to meet nomination requirements, she remained active in politics and advocacy.
In 2018, she published her first book, It Takes a Woman, a 331-page biography chronicling her life from childhood in 1948 to her years of public service. The book was intended as the first of four volumes offering “deep insights into her political activism and experiences.”
Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings leaves behind a legacy of resilience, leadership, and dedication to national development. Her contributions to Ghana’s political and social landscape remain deeply impactful.
