The life of Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, who served as Ghana’s longest-reigning First Lady (1981–2001) and later became a fearless presidential candidate, was a vibrant tapestry of political power, grassroots activism, and sheer, uncompromising will.
Following her demise on Thursday, October 23, we look back not just at her monumental achievements with the 31st December Women’s Movement (31st DWM) but at the enduring visual moments that captured her transformative journey—a journey that irrevocably changed the face of women in Ghanaian politics.
Her decades in the public eye yielded countless images, yet seven distinct photographic themes capture the essence of her formidable legacy:
1. The Achimota Sweethearts: A Foundation of Power
A young Nana Konadu, likely in the late 1960s or early 1970s, is pictured with a youthful Jerry John Rawlings. This photo captures the beginning of the most powerful political partnership in Ghana’s history, forged at Achimota School and cemented by marriage in 1977. It is a testament to the personal connection that underpinned two decades of national governance, demonstrating her role not merely as a spouse but as a co-architect of the Rawlings era.
2. A Star at KNUST
A 1970 picture of KNUST female students in Afro hairstyles. Among them is Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, the Former First Lady of Ghana, who in 1969 served as General Secretary of Africa Hall & in 1971 was elected as the Assistant Secretary of the KNUST SRC and graduated in June 1972.
3. Joyous family moments
A family photo likely taken in the 1990s. The photo shows the late President Jerry John Rawlings, the late First Lady Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings and their four children. In November 2020, former President Jerry John Rawlings died aged 73. Five years on, Nana Konadu has joined her love and partner in eternity. The two had four children together – Zanetor, Yaa Asantewaa, Amina and Kimathi.
4. Bill and Hillary Clinton’s Trip to Ghana
Together with then-President Jerry John Rawlings, then-First Lady Konadu Agyemang Rawlings received Bill and Hillary Clinton for an official visit in March 1998. It was the first trip to Ghana by a sitting U.S. president. The visit was part of a 12-day, six-country tour of Africa.
5. Konadu Breaks Away From the NDC To Form The NDP
The former First Lady, Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, did not always have a smooth ride with the NDC, as she broke away in 2012 from the party she co-founded with her husband. This was after she unsuccessfully challenged the late President John Atta Mills for the NDC flagbearership in 2011, a move that shocked the Ghanaian political establishment. Pictured is her endorsement ahead of the 2016 elections.
6. Former President Rawlings Passes On
After spending over 40 years together, former First Lady Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings had to bid farewell to her sweetheart, former President Jerry John Rawlings, on January 27, 2021. The late President died on November 12, 2020.
8. Last Public Appearances
One of the last public appearances by the former First Lady was the moment she shared with Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II in September 2025 to console the revered monarch on the passing of Asantehemaa Nana Konadu Yiadom III.