Gospel musician Grace Ashley’s tribute highlighted that the late Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings played a pioneering role in the women’s empowerment movement.

She added that the stateswoman was someone she deeply admired and drew immense inspiration from in navigating life as a woman..

"Growing up, we were made to feel weak as women because society always recognized men as the strongest. But when I saw how our mother, Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, lived her life, everything changed. I remember a Benjien Conference where she encouraged women to be bold and assertive, challenging the way we had been relaxed about life and reliant on men."

"Over time, we began to see women stepping up and rising to the occasion. So, when it comes to women’s empowerment—the idea that women should boldly pursue their goals—it was our mother who first sparked that movement," she gladly told The Independent Ghana at the Independence Square where the funeral was held.

A tribute delivered by the children of former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings has proven that no matter how far she rose, the late stateswoman remained an actively present mother.

They fondly recalled her humour, animated storytelling, “occasional blastings,” and her passion for music and dance. According to them, her joy was rooted in the simple pleasures of family and togetherness.

“For us, your four children, we will set our feet into the footsteps of your gallant place and with divine grace, emulate your dignified dance through life. We love and miss you, Mom; we love and miss you, Dad. So much,” they said at the tail end of the tribute.

They described her as a tireless patriot, a woman who lived her values with unshakable conviction.

Her children said she embodied a life of purpose and steadfast devotion to the nation.

According to them, “yours was the consummate life of a tireless patriot, a woman who loved her country and celebrated it every opportunity she got.”

They remembered a mother who faced every challenge head-on, believing that no problem was too small or beneath her attention.

As President of the 31st December Women’s Movement, they said she “ignited a force that transformed the landscape of women’s rights and education that still resonates today.”

Ghana has lost one of its most remarkable political figures, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, whose passing today (Thursday, October 23) brings to an end a defining era in the nation’s political and social landscape.

Known widely as the Iron Lady of Ghanaian politics, she rose to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s through her bold activism and fearless advocacy. Beyond being a former First Lady, she made history as the first woman to contest for the presidency in Ghana—an achievement that solidified her reputation as a pioneer.

Her life reflected unwavering dedication to women’s empowerment and a determination to challenge established norms, leaving behind a lasting legacy as one of the most influential female leaders in Ghana’s post-independence history.

The Longest Serving First Lady

Nana Konadu Agyeman, born on November 17, 1948, in Cape Coast, Central Region, began her education at Achimota School, where she would later meet her husband, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings.

She pursued Art and Textiles at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and furthered her studies abroad, earning a diploma in Interior Design from the London College of Arts in 1975. Her quest for knowledge continued with a diploma in Advanced Personnel Management and a certificate in Development from GIMPA, underscoring her intellectual curiosity and commitment to personal growth.

Her marriage to Rawlings in 1977 marked the beginning of her deep involvement in Ghana’s political evolution. As First Lady, she served during two significant phases of Ghana’s governance—first in 1979 under the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) and later from 1981 to 2001 under the PNDC and the Fourth Republic.

Her 20-year tenure as First Lady, the longest in Ghana’s history, provided her with a unique platform to drive social transformation and advocate for national progress.

The Engine of Women's Empowerment: 31st DWM

Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings is widely recognised as the founder and president of the 31st December Women’s Movement (31st DWM), which she established in 1982.

Far from being a symbolic organisation, the movement became a dynamic grassroots force dedicated to mobilising and empowering women across Ghana, particularly in rural areas, inspired by her conviction that women held the key to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Its achievements were visible and far-reaching, transforming women’s roles from passive beneficiaries of aid to active participants in the country’s political and economic development.

Grassroots Mobilisation: It mobilised an estimated two million women across the country, encouraging their participation in community and national decision-making. The Movement established over 870 pre-schools across the regions to free women to engage in economic activities.

Economic Projects: The 31st DWM supported numerous income-generating activities and small-scale, village-level economic projects, encouraging women to save money for community development.

Education and Health: It ran extensive functional adult literacy programmes to tackle high illiteracy rates among rural women and implemented public health programmes focusing on nutrition and immunisation.

Legal and Political Reform: She was instrumental in advocating for legal changes, including the crucial role she played in the adoption of the Intestate Succession Law (PNDCL 111), which drastically improved the inheritance rights of widows and children—a vital shift away from traditional barriers where women often had no rights of inheritance upon the death of their husbands. Furthermore, through her efforts, Ghana became the first nation in the world to approve the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1991.

Agyeman-Rawlings often framed the movement as an essential political tool: "Before December 31, 1981, they had no power of influence in law or politics... I can see from the self-esteem and near arrogance of the women that now we've actually been able to break through this thick wall," she once noted, highlighting the movement's mission to empower.