On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, Ghana lost one of its illustrious daughters, former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.

The late former First Lady, who, according to her family, died after a short illness at the Ridge Hospital in Accra, was arguably one of Ghana’s most loved First Ladies.

Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, the first First Lady of the 4th Republic of Ghana, who was known for her bold personality and assertiveness, gained plaudits for redefining the role of the First Lady in Ghana from a mere symbolic position to one of active leadership and advocacy.

Indeed, the trailblazing former First Lady broke many barriers in Ghana’s political landscape, which she will forever be remembered for.

Here are some of the things she would be remembered for:

The first woman to form a political party in Ghana:

The late Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings is the first woman to form a political party in Ghana.

In 2012, she broke away from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the party of her husband, the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, to form the National Democratic Party (NDP).

She formed her own party after losing the presidential primary of the NDC to the late former President Prof John Evans Atta Mills.

Former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings is dead

The formation of the NDP was announced on July 6, 2012, by the then-interim General Secretary of the party, Manboah Rockson, who cited dissatisfaction with the NDC for the breakaway of Nana Konadu.

The first female presidential candidate in Ghana:

Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings went on to contest in the 2016 presidential election under the ticket of her party, the NDP.

This feat made her the first woman to contest in Ghana’s presidential election, which gained her the tag, “The Hillary Clinton of Africa.”

She could not, however, become the first female president of Ghana, as she performed abysmally in the election.

Even though she got less than 0.2% of the total votes cast in the 2016 election — 17,207 out of about 11 million votes — she will be forever remembered as the first woman to contest for the highest seat of government, the presidency.

Profile of late former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings

The longest-serving First Lady of Ghana:

Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings died as the longest-serving First Lady of Ghana, a record that is not likely to be broken anytime soon.

She was the First Lady of Ghana during the eras of military dictatorship led by her husband, Jerry John Rawlings. He was the head of state of Ghana from June 4, 1979, to September 24, 1979, during his first military rule.

She again became First Lady when Jerry John Rawlings, through a military coup, took the reins of government from 1981 to 1992.

Nana Konadu became First Lady again from 1993 to 2001, after her husband was democratically elected in the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections.

So, in total, she was the First Lady of Ghana for about 20 years.

The leader of the 31st December Women’s Movement:

Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings would also be remembered for her exploits with the 31st December Women’s Movement (DWM).

She formed the 31st December Women’s Movement in 1982, following her husband's coup on December 31, 1981.

The movement, which began as a grassroots women’s empowerment initiative, grew into a national organisation that mobilised women for national development under the revolutionary government.

Through advocacy and action, the movement championed women's rights, education, healthcare, and economic empowerment. Thousands of women benefited from access to credit, vocational training, and community development initiatives.

The 31st DWM helped women build businesses, improve their families' well-being, and take on leadership roles in their communities.

BAI/AE

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