Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, the former First Lady of Ghana, has passed away at the age of 76, following a brief illness. She was the widow of Jerry John Rawlings, Ghana’s longest-serving leader, who died five years ago after having led two military coups and later elected president in multiparty elections.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, a spokesperson for the presidency, confirmed her death on Thursday morning. Subsequently, her family notified President John Mahama, who currently leads the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party. This party was founded by Jerry Rawlings following his rise to power.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was politically active and sought the NDC’s presidential nomination in 2012, though she was not successful. As First Lady, she established the 31st December Women’s Movement, aimed at empowering women and teaching them skills to improve their communities, a name that references the date of her husband’s second coup in 1981.
Born in November 1948 and raised in a middle-class family in Cape Coast, she met Jerry Rawlings while attending the prestigious Achimota School in Accra. Agyeman-Rawlings pursued higher education in art and textiles, distinct from her husband, who joined the air force and rose to the rank of flight lieutenant before taking power in a coup at the age of 32.
Her advocacy work is credited with influencing significant advancements for women in Ghana, including the shaping of a 1989 law that established inheritance rights for women and children, and contributing to gender equality provisions in Ghana’s 1992 constitution. Ghana’s parliament has adjourned in response to her passing, as the nation prepares to honor a significant figure in its political landscape and advocate for women’s inclusion in governance.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62ex80zp2no?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss