Ghana’s former first lady Nana Agyeman-Rawlings dies aged 76

The wife of Ghana’s former president, flight lieutenant Jerry Rawlings, has died.

Nana Agyeman-Rawlings, who served as first lady from June 1979 to September 1979 and again from December 1981 to January 2001, passed away after a short illness.

Reports indicate that she died at Ridge Hospital in Accra aged 76, according to hospital sources.

The Ghana presidency has also confirmed the death of the former first lady in a statement extending its “deepest condolences to her immediate family.”

She had four children with her late husband, Jerry. One of them, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, is a lawmaker and parliamentarian in the House of Legislature.

Recently, Nana visited the Ashanti Kingdom during the burial of the asantehemaa, Konadu Yiadom III, in September. She was also among the dignitaries who laid wreaths during the state funeral for the government officials and soldiers who died in a helicopter crash in August this year.

NANA AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS’ PROFILE

Nana was born in Cape Coast in Ghana’s central eegion, although she was a direct descendant of the Ashanti royal family in Kumasi. Both her parents came from long lines of royal ancestry, and she was the third of seven children.

She attended some of the country’s top schools, including Achimota, where she met Jerry.

Before entering politics, she was an interior designer by profession.

She is credited with founding the 31st December Women’s Movement on 15 May 1982, a vibrant women’s organisation established to involve women in the country’s revolution.

In an interview quoted by West Africa Magazine, she said: “I threw myself into my work. In my political life, passion took over, and I wanted to understand the problems women in rural areas were experiencing in a country in crisis.”

She championed women’s empowerment, encouraging women to work for themselves and provide for their families.

She is also recognised for her advocacy efforts, which influenced laws and policies against human rights abuses such as child marriage, female genital mutilation, and other harmful cultural practices.

“We developed small businesses like cassava processing, vegetable farming, batik making and other things to support women in rural areas. We gave them seed money to encourage them,” Nana told West Africa Magazine in 2012.

POLITICAL CAREER

In 2016, she became the first woman to contest Ghana’s presidential election after forming her own party, the National Democratic Party (NDP).

This came after she lost the race to become flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the party founded by her husband.

She left the NDC following disagreements with the party on several issues.

In 2020 Jerry passed away, leading many to wonder whether she would still contest the December 2020 elections.

In a statement released by the NDP’s chairperson, she confirmed that she would continue her campaign despite her husband’s death.

“I want to thank Ghanaians who have been praying for and supporting me and my family during this sad time following my husband’s passing. I will, however, continue my presidential campaign for the NDP,” she said.

After that election, which the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate Nana Akufo-Addo won with 51.3% of the vote, Nana secured only 6 549 votes (0.05%).

Since then, she had taken a back seat in active politics, attending state events as a former first lady until her death.

Throughout her life, she was known for her elegant sense of fashion, often promoting Ghanaian fabric. Her signature look – an African print outfit with a matching headgear – became widely recognised as the “Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings style.”

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