Government Announces Death of Former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings
The Government of Ghana has announced with deep regret and profound sorrow, the passing of former First Lady and Founder of the 31st December Women’s Movement, Mrs. Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.
A statement issued by Mr. Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Presidential Spokesperson and Minister in charge of Government Communications, said Mrs. Agyeman-Rawlings passed away on the morning of Thursday, October 23, 2025, after a short illness.
“Government extends its deepest condolences to her immediate family,” the statement added.
News of her passing spread swiftly across the country, sparking an outpouring of tributes from political figures, women’s groups, and ordinary citizens who hailed her as a symbol of courage, leadership, and resilience.
Distinguished Public Life
Born on November 17, 1948, in Cape Coast in the Central Region, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was educated at Achimota School and later at the University of Science and Technology (now Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology – KNUST), where she studied Art and Design.
While at the university, she met Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, whom she married in 1977.
Her public life began when her husband led the June 4, 1979 uprising and the 31st December Revolution in 1981—two events that reshaped Ghana’s political trajectory.
As First Lady during both the PNDC era and the Fourth Republic, she became a prominent advocate for national development and women’s empowerment.
Champion for Women’s Rights
In 1982, Mrs. Agyeman-Rawlings founded the 31st December Women’s Movement (DWM), an organisation dedicated to advancing the economic and social status of women, especially in rural Ghana.
Under her leadership, the movement established preschools, promoted microcredit schemes, and championed women’s participation in decision-making.
Her advocacy played a key role in securing constitutional recognition of women’s rights in 1992 and promoting gender equality in governance.
She was also instrumental in the enactment of the Intestate Succession Law (PNDC Law 111), which safeguarded the inheritance rights of spouses and children—a landmark reform in Ghana’s family law.
Political Career
Beyond her role as First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings carved her own path in partisan politics.
In 2011, she contested the flagbearership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) against the late President John Evans Atta Mills, a bold move that highlighted her independence and political resolve.
Following that contest, she founded the National Democratic Party (NDP) in 2012, becoming its first flagbearer.
Although her presidential bids in 2012 and 2016 were unsuccessful, her participation marked a significant milestone for women in Ghanaian politics and inspired future generations of female leaders.
Legacy and Family
Mrs. Agyeman-Rawlings was widely admired for her assertiveness, grace, and unwavering commitment to social justice and equity.
She was married to the late former President Jerry John Rawlings for over four decades until his passing in November 2020.
The couple had four children, including Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, the Member of Parliament for Korle Klottey.
Her death marks the end of an era — the passing of a woman whose life was deeply intertwined with Ghana’s political evolution from military rule to democracy.
Tributes continue to pour in from across the political spectrum, describing her as a visionary leader who reshaped the role of women in national development and embodied the conscience of a nation in transition.
Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the family in due course.
