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Ghana’s former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, has passed away at the age of 76, sources close to the family have confirmed. She died on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at the Ridge Hospital in Accra after a short illness.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was more than just the wife of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings; she was a pioneer in her own right.
As Ghana’s longest-serving First Lady, she held the position across both military and civilian administrations led by her husband, 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), and later during her husband’s two constitutional terms from January 7, 1993, to January 6, 2001.
Beyond her role as First Lady, Nana Konadu was a champion of women’s empowerment and political activism. She founded the 31st December Women’s Movement, a pioneering organization dedicated to advancing the economic and social status of women, especially in rural Ghana. The movement established preschools, launched microcredit schemes, and advocated for women’s active participation in local and national decision-making.
She made history in 2016 as the first woman to contest the presidency of Ghana, cementing her legacy as one of the most influential figures in the nation’s political and social landscape. She formed the National Democratic Party (NDP) in 2012 after splitting from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and ran for president on the NDP ticket in 2016 ².
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings’ passing marks the end of an era, and tributes are pouring in from across the nation, celebrating her as a visionary who helped redefine the role of women in leadership and shaped the conscience of a country transitioning from military rule to democracy. Her legacy will continue to inspire generations of women and girls in Ghana and beyond ⁴.
