The first woman to run for President of Ghana in 2016.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was Ghana’s First Lady during her husband Jerry John Rawlings’s two periods as head of state: June to September 1979 and December 1981 to January 2001. In 2018, she launched her book titled “It Takes a Woman.”
She was born in Cape Coast, Central Region of Ghana, on 17 November 1948, to J. O. T. Agyeman and his wife. She was a descendant of the Ashanti royal family.
She attended Ghana International School. Later, she moved to Achimota School where she met her future husband, Jerry John Rawlings. She went on to study Art and textiles at the University of Science and Technology (now KNUST). She was a student leader of her hall of residence, Africa Hall. In 1975, she earned an interior design diploma from the London College of Arts.
Nana Konadu married Rawlings in 1977. They had their first child, Zanetor, in 1978. Rawlings was at the time an Air Force officer. Two other daughters and a son followed: Yaa Asantewaa, Amina and Kimathi.Her husband dièd in November 2020. One of their children, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, is a member of Ghana’s parliament.
A member of the National Democratic Congress, she was a prominent advocate for women’s empowerment. In 1982, she founded the 31st December Women’s Movement to engage women in the nation’s political and revolutionary processes. Through her work, she influenced policies and laws against human rights abuses such as female genital mutilation, child marriage, and other harmful cultural practices.
Before entering politics, she worked as an interior designer.
She dièd on October 23, 2025, at the age of 76 in Accra after a brief illness.
Enock Akonnor is an experienced Ghanaian journalist, based in Kumasi and currently serves as the CEO and Managing Editor of www.leakyghana.com.
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