Ghana’s former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, has died at the age of 76.
She was the widow of Ghana’s longest-serving leader, Jerry John Rawlings, who died five years ago after leading two coups and later serving as an elected president.
Presidential spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu confirmed that Agyeman-Rawlings died on Thursday morning after a short illness.
Tributes have since poured in on social media for the former first lady, politician, and women’s rights advocate.
Her family visited President John Mahama later in the day to officially inform him of her passing. Mahama leads the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the party founded by her late husband.
As first lady, Agyeman-Rawlings founded the 31st December Women’s Movement to empower women economically and promote community development. Her advocacy helped shape Ghana’s 1989 inheritance law and contributed to gender equality provisions in the 1992 constitution.
Born in November 1948 in Cape Coast, she studied art and textiles at university and married Jerry Rawlings in 1977.
The couple had four children, including Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, an NDC Member of Parliament.
Ghana’s parliament has adjourned in her honor as the nation prepares to officially mourn one of its most influential female figures.
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