The 31st December Women’s Movement and the National Democratic Party (NDP) paid powerful tributes to their late founder, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, during her state funeral at Black Star Square on Friday, November 28. The former First Lady, who passed away on October 23, 2025, was lauded as a fearless leader, a political pioneer, and a “true symbol of African womanhood.”
The 31st December Women’s Movement reflected on decades of advocacy, describing her as a hero whose influence would remain etched in their hearts. They praised her as a figure who was “bold, articulate, principled and deeply dedicated” to uplifting the vulnerable, noting that she carried Ghana’s flag internationally, championing gender equality. They emphasized that under her leadership, the movement grew into one of the most formidable forces for women’s empowerment in the nation’s history.
In their tribute, the NDP described their founder as the party’s “guiding light” whose advocacy transcended partisan boundaries. They stated that her work “gave rise to a new era of female participation in politics and governance,” inspiring countless Ghanaian women to pursue leadership roles. The party hailed her as a mother, mentor, and visionary who embodied integrity and taught that leadership is earned through sacrifice and the pursuit of justice, affirming that she “lived for Ghana, worked for Ghana, and left behind a legacy” that will guide the party and the nation.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings served as Ghana’s longest-serving First Lady across her late husband Jerry John Rawlings’s military and civilian administrations, from 1979 to 2001, before founding the NDP in 2012.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
