The First Lady Who Refused to Be Ceremonial
Ghana and the wider African continent are mourning the loss of Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, the former First Lady who passed away last month at age 77. More than just a presidential spouse, she became the matriarch of women's empowerment in Ghana and an enduring symbol of women's political awakening across Africa.
From Cape Coast to Revolutionary First Lady
Born in Cape Coast in 1948 to statesman J.O.T. Agyeman and educator Felicia Agyeman, Nana demonstrated leadership from her school days at Achimota School where she served as an elected prefect. She pursued her first degree in Art and Textiles at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology before earning a diploma in interior design from London College of Arts.
After working briefly with Union Trading Company in Switzerland, she returned to Ghana where her life transformed dramatically when she married Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings in 1977. Within two years, she found herself as First Lady of a revolutionary state, but she immediately rejected the traditional ceremonial role that had defined previous first ladies.
The 31 December Women's Movement Legacy
Inspired by grassroots women's groups and feminist writings, Nana Konadu founded the 31 December Women's Movement (DWM) in 1982. The organization, recognizable by its red berets, spread rapidly through Ghana's towns and villages with relentless energy.
At a time when adult literacy for rural women stood below 30%, the DWM achieved remarkable results:
- Built more than 870 preschools across Ghana
- Launched adult education and health initiatives
- Provided nutrition training and vaccination drives
- Supported women's small enterprises through micro-credit and vocational workshops
The movement also drove significant legal reforms, including lobbying for the 1985 Intestate Succession Law that protected widows' inheritance rights and Ghana's ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991. By the early 1990s, the movement claimed over two million members.
Political Ambition and Controversy
Nana Konadu's drive eventually led her into formal politics. She became the NDC's first vice-chair in 2009 and two years later challenged President John Atta Mills for the party's presidential nomination in what became known as the "Showdown in Sunyani." The election ended with Mills securing 96.9% of votes to her 3.1%.
Undeterred, she left the NDC in 2012 to form the National Democratic Party (NDP), which fielded her as Ghana's first female presidential candidate in 2016. Though she gained only 0.16% of the vote, she exited politics with the same composure that marked her entrance.
Her work wasn't without criticism. The DWM's close ties to her husband's ruling parties blurred lines between civic activism and politics, with critics accusing the movement of monopolizing state support and failing to address atrocities against women during Rawlings' administration.
Lasting Legacy Beyond Politics
In 2018, Nana released her memoir It Takes a Woman, which received favorable review from former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The book embodied her conviction that gender equality required political participation and structural change rather than tokenism or charity.
When she died on October 23, 2025, tributes poured from across Ghana's political spectrum. President John Dramani Mahama ordered flags flown at half-mast in honor of her distinguished service to the nation.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings transformed the invisible role of presidential spouse into a platform for national development. Her legacy lives on through the literacy classes, health clinics, and preschools that continue serving Ghanaian communities decades after their establishment. She fought to make women visible, vocal, and indispensable to Ghana's story - truly living up to the meaning of her name, which translates as "fight to the end."
