You inspired, empowered many generations – Apaak mourns Agyeman-Rawlings

Deputy Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak, has paid glowing tribute to former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, describing her as an icon who inspired and empowered many generations of women and girls in Ghana.

“Founder of the 31st December Women’s Movement and Mother of our 4th Republic, Rest Well. You gave your best to our nation. You inspired and empowered many generations of girls and women. Condolences to the family and to my colleague Member of Parliament, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings” Dr. Apaak stated in a Facebook post.

Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, wife of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, passed away at the Ridge Hospital in Accra at age 76. She was Ghana’s longest-serving First Lady, serving from June 4, 1979, to September 24, 1979, under the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), and again from December 31, 1981, to January 6, 1993, under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC). She continued in the role during her husband’s two constitutional terms from January 7, 1993, to January 6, 2001.

Beyond her ceremonial duties, Nana Konadu was celebrated as a trailblazer in women’s empowerment and political activism. She founded the 31st December Women’s Movement, a landmark organization that championed women’s rights, education, and entrepreneurship across the country. In 2012, she broke away from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to form the National Democratic Party (NDP), later becoming the first woman to contest the presidency of Ghana in the 2016 general elections.

In November 2018, she launched her autobiography titled It Takes a Woman, which chronicled her life journey from her youth in 1948 through her decades of political and social advocacy. The book offered “deep insights into her political activism and experiences.”

Tributes have since poured in from across the political divide, with many Ghanaians celebrating Nana Konadu’s enduring legacy as a courageous leader who reshaped Ghana’s social and political landscape.