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A Quiet Calm to Grace Black Star Square as Ghana Bids Farewell to Former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings
A gentle calm is expected to descend on the Black Star Square on Friday as mourners from all walks of life assemble to pay their final respects to Ghana’s longest-serving former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, as she embarks on her journey to eternity.
Preparations at the Square were finalised on Thursday, November 27, with security agencies and State protocol officers working closely to create a ceremony befitting her national prominence and royal lineage.
Government officials, political leaders, members of the diplomatic community, parliamentarians, traditional rulers, gender advocates, the clergy and other distinguished personalities are expected to attend the State Funeral, scheduled to start at 8:00 a.m.
A solemn Requiem Mass was held on Wednesday, November 26, at the Accra Ridge Church, where prayers and tributes highlighted the remarkable impact she made on the nation.
Her family expressed heartfelt appreciation 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 honoured as a transformative leader whose resilience, activism and relentless advocacy for women’s rights greatly influenced national development.
Public tributes have portrayed her as “a true national treasure,” “an unbreakable force,” and “a shining beacon of women’s empowerment.”
Among the many messages was a heartfelt tribute from Madam Simone Giger, the Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, who applauded her unwavering “commitment and dedication to advancing women’s rights.”
Outside politics and public service, Nana Konadu nurtured a lively passion for fashion, music, dance and the creative arts.
Her grace, charisma and confidence turned her into a cultural icon admired across generations.
Born on November 17, 1948, in Cape Coast to J.O.T. Agyeman and Felicia Agyeman, both of blessed memory, the Ashanti royal was raised with strong values of discipline, ambition and leadership.
She studied at Achimota School before pursuing Arts with a specialisation in Textile Design at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, where she became Deputy SRC Secretary and later SRC Secretary, actively contributing to the National Union of Ghana Students.
Her academic journey included:
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A Diploma in Interior Design from the London College of Arts
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A Diploma in Advanced Personnel Management from the Management Development and Productivity Institute(1979)
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A Certificate in Development from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (1991)
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A Senior Fellow Diploma in Policy Studies and Non-Profit Sector Economic Development from Johns Hopkins University (1994)
Between 1974 and 1980, she worked with the Union Trading Company in Accra, and later with Nanali Africarts from 1980 to 1984. During this period, she founded the 31st December Women’s Movement, which significantly reshaped the socio-economic advancement of women nationwide.
In 1977, she married Jerry John Rawlings, then an Airforce Officer who would later become Head of State and President.
Their marriage was blessed with four children — Zanetor, Yaa Asantewaa, Amina and Kimathi — and together, they formed a partnership that profoundly influenced Ghana’s political direction and the progress of gender equality.
