The former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings passed away on Thursday, October 23, 2025.
She was 76 years old and died at the Ridge Hospital in Accra after a brief illness.
As a prominent Ghanaian politician, First Lady, and women’s rights advocate, her biography is a story of political partnership, activism, and forging a path as an independent political figure.
Early life and education
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was born on November 17, 1948, in Cape Coast, Ghana.
She had her Secondary School education at Achimota School, where she met her future husband, Jerry John Rawlings.
She then earned a degree in Art with a specialization in Textiles from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and later pursued diplomas in Interior Design and advanced personnel management, as well as a certificate in development.
Family
The father of Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was J.O.T. Agyeman.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings married Jerry John Rawlings in 1977, and the couple had four children together.
They were Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Yaa Asantewaa Rawlings, Amina Rawlings and Kimathi Rawlings.
Politics
Agyeman-Rawlings’ first term as first lady came after her husband, former President Jerry John Rawlings served as military Head of State in 1979.
He returned to power in a military coup in 1981 and ruled until 1992, when he then was elected as a president. He served two terms, leaving office in 2001
In 1982, she founded the 31st December Women’s Movement (DWM), a grassroots non-governmental organization dedicated to the empowerment of women.
She was elected First Vice Chairperson of the NDC in 2009 and later in 2011, she unsuccessfully challenged President John Atta Mills for the party’s presidential candidate position for election 2012
After her unsuccessful primary challenge, she left the NDC and established her own political party, the National Democratic Party (NDP), in October 2012.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings became the first woman to run for president of Ghana when she contested as the NDP’s presidential candidate in the 2016 election.
Recent years
In November 2020, her husband and former President Jerry John Rawlings passed away.
The former First Lady remained active in public life and continued her advocacy work until her passing on October 23, 2025.
