Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings has passed away at the age of 76.
According to sources close to the family, the distinguished political figure died in the early hours of Thursday, October 23, 2025, at the Ridge Hospital in Accra.
Born on November 17, 1948, in Cape Coast in the Central Region, Mrs. Agyeman-Rawlings leaves behind a legacy deeply woven into the fabric of Ghana’s political and social history.
As of press time, neither the Rawlings family nor government representatives had issued an official statement confirming the cause of death.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was the wife of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, Ghana’s longest-serving Head of State. Together, they became one of the country’s most influential political couples, shaping national discourse for decades.
She served as Ghana’s First Lady from 1979 and again from 1981 to 2001, spanning both military and civilian administrations led by her husband. Beyond her ceremonial duties, she was a dynamic advocate for women’s rights and social development, founding the 31st December Women’s Movement, which empowered thousands of women through education, entrepreneurship, and leadership initiatives.
In 2012, Nana Konadu broke away from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), a party she helped establish alongside her husband, to form the National Democratic Party (NDP). She made history as the first woman to contest the presidency of Ghana in 2016, a milestone that cemented her status as a pioneer in women’s political participation.
Her 2018 autobiography, It Takes a Woman, chronicled her personal journey from her youth through decades of public service and activism, offering intimate insights into her life’s mission to elevate Ghanaian women.
Despite her advancing age, Nana Konadu remained active in public life. She was among the dignitaries who recently laid wreaths at the Forecourt of the Jubilee House in honour of eight public servants who died in a helicopter accident. She also attended the funeral rites of the late Asantehemaa, Nana Konadu Yiadom III, where she paid her respects to the Asante Kingdom alongside her children, Amina and Kimathi Agyeman-Rawlings.
Her passing comes nearly five years after the death of her husband, Jerry John Rawlings, who died on November 12, 2020, at age 73.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings’s death marks the end of an era in Ghanaian politics. Tributes are expected to pour in from across the political divide for a woman who not only redefined the role of First Lady but also blazed a trail for women in leadership.
Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced in due course.
Source: Newstitbits.com
