The Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dzifa Abla Gomashie, has paid an emotional tribute to the late former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, describing her as a trailblazer whose influence shaped her life and career.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Friday, October 24, Madam Gomashie said the news of Nana Konadu’s passing had left her deeply heartbroken.
“I’m so crushed,” she said. “The influence would be that I met Mrs. Rawlings when I was 19 years old. If we are fair and honest, we should give her all the credit as the one who was visible and laid the strong foundation upon which all of us have now built our careers or occupations.”
The Minister described the late former First Lady as a pioneer of women’s empowerment and political activism, noting that her leadership through the 31st December Women’s Movement opened doors for many women in public life.
“I think that we have not done justice to that as people. And sometimes it surprises me that intellectuals don’t give her that credit,” she said. “What she stood for should be chronicled and celebrated by this country. She’s gone, but she’s still here.”
Madam Gomashie praised Nana Konadu for redefining the role of women in Ghanaian society, saying she exemplified that women could balance family life, professionalism, and political engagement.
“She gave us the example that you can be a woman, a career woman, politically active, socially correct — you can be anything you want to be. It’s cliché, but she lived it in every sense of the word,” she noted.
She likened the former First Lady’s impact on women’s political participation to the influence of Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana’s independence struggle.
“Maybe other women were there before her, but like the Kwame Nkrumah story, you see, many people will say they were there, but we know he’s the founder. The one who really brought politics and women’s activism strongly to this country was Mrs. Rawlings,” she said.
Becoming emotional, Madam Gomashie credited Nana Konadu for inspiring her own achievements in public service and advocacy.
“I’m the woman I am today because of the examples that she showed me. And it doesn’t matter that our relationship had strayed — I still give her credit for anything good that I have done for the country, because she made it possible for me to put my mind to doing that,” she said.
Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, Ghana’s longest-serving First Lady, passed away on Thursday at the Ridge Hospital in Accra at the age of 76. She was widely celebrated for her pioneering work in women’s rights, social development, and national transformation.
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