The state funeral for Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, Ghana’s longest-serving First Lady and wife of the first President of the Fourth Republic, the late Jerry John Rawlings, is being held today, Friday, November 28, 2025.
The ceremony has drawn state officials, political leaders, members of the diplomatic corps, parliamentarians, traditional authorities, gender advocates, the clergy and other dignitaries to honour her memory.
A solemn Requiem Mass was earlier held on Wednesday, November 26, at the Accra Ridge Church, where prayers and tributes highlighted the profound mark she left on the nation.
Her family has expressed gratitude to Ghanaians for the unwavering support shown since her passing on Thursday, October 23, 2025.
Nana Konadu, founder of the 31st December Women’s Movement, is remembered as a transformative force whose activism and unyielding advocacy shaped Ghana’s gender and social development agenda. Public tributes have hailed her as “a national treasure”, “an indomitable spirit”, and “a beacon of women’s empowerment”. Among them was a message from Switzerland’s Ambassador to Ghana, Simone Giger, who praised her “determination and dedication to women’s rights”.
Beyond public service, she was known for her vibrant love for fashion, music, dance and the creative arts. Her elegance and confidence made her an enduring symbol of cultural pride.
Born on November 17, 1948, in Cape Coast to J.O.T. Agyeman and Felicia Agyeman, Nana Konadu grew up in an environment shaped by discipline, ambition and leadership.
She attended Achimota School, later studying Arts with a focus on Textile Design at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, where she served as Deputy SRC Secretary and later SRC Secretary. She was also active within the National Union of Ghana Students.
Her academic journey included a diploma in Interior Design from the London College of Arts; a Diploma in Advanced Personnel Management from the Management Development and Productivity Institute in 1979; a Certificate in Development from GIMPA in 1991; and a Senior Fellow Diploma in Policy Studies and Non-Profit Sector Economic Development from Johns Hopkins University in 1994.
Nana Konadu worked with the Union Trading Company from 1974 to 1980 before joining Nanali Africarts, where she served until 1984. It was during this period that she founded the 31st December Women’s Movement, which helped redefine women’s empowerment across Ghana.
In 1977, she married Jerry John Rawlings, then an Air Force officer who would later become Head of State and President. Their marriage was blessed with four children — Zanetor, Yaa Asantewaa, Amina and Kimathi — and became a partnership that significantly shaped Ghana’s political history and the advancement of gender equality.