Ghana Mourns the Loss of Former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings

Fri Dec 05 2025 08:29:13 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, wife of Ghana's longest-serving president Jerry Rawlings, passes away at 76, leaving a legacy of women's rights advocacy and political engagement.

Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, the former First Lady of Ghana and a prominent advocate for women's rights, has died at the age of 76. Known for her role in empowering women through community initiatives and her political ambitions, she was the widow of Jerry Rawlings, Ghana's longest-serving president. Condolences have poured in from across the nation as Ghana prepares to mourn one of its iconic political figures.

Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, Ghana's former First Lady, has sadly passed away at the age of 76. She was the widow of Jerry John Rawlings, who served as Ghana's president and was a central figure in the nation's history, having led two coups before twice being elected in multiparty elections.

Tributes have flooded social media, reflecting on her contributions as a politician and a women's rights champion. Presidential spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu announced that Agyeman-Rawlings died following a short illness on Thursday morning.

Her family informed the current president, John Mahama, of her passing. Mahama, leading the National Democratic Congress (NDC) founded by Jerry Rawlings, expressed his condolences.

Before her political aspirations, which included a bid for the NDC's presidential candidacy in 2012, Agyeman-Rawlings founded the 31st December Women's Movement, aimed at empowering women economically and socially, a testament to her long-standing commitment to women's rights.

Born in November 1948 in Cape Coast, she received a university education in art and textiles and played an influential role during her husband's administration, serving not only as a supportive spouse but also as an advisor.

Her legacy includes significant contributions to legislation helping to secure women's inheritance rights in 1989 and initiating provisions for gender equality in Ghana's 1992 constitution.

Currently, Ghana's parliament has adjourned as mourners prepare to pay respects to the former First Lady, whose impact on the country's political landscape will be remembered as monumental.