Memorial mass to mark first anniversary of Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings’ death on October 23

A memorial Mass will be held at the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Adabraka, Accra, on Friday, October 23, 2026, to mark the first anniversary of the death of former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.

The Mass is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at midday. Attendees are expected to wear either white or black and white.

In a statement announcing the event, the family invited members of the public to join them in honouring the late former First Lady, whom they described as a mother, grandmother, aunt, distinguished gender advocate and a woman who transformed the role of First Ladies in Ghana.

Nana Konadu died on Thursday, October 23, 2025.

She served as First Lady from 1981 to 2001 and was widely associated with advocacy for women’s empowerment, gender equality, grassroots development and poverty alleviation.

During the creation of district assemblies in the 1980s and throughout her political activism, she encouraged Ghanaian women to participate in local governance and community leadership. Her efforts helped create opportunities for women to pursue leadership roles in politics, industry and other sectors.

Through the 31st December Women’s Movement, the organisation she founded, more than 1,000 early childhood development centres were constructed across Ghana with support from donor communities, international organisations and local communities.

The centres helped expand access to pre-school education, particularly for children in rural and economically disadvantaged urban communities, contributing to efforts to break the cycle of poverty.

Nana Konadu was also a major force in the establishment of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). She was elected vice-chairperson of the party in 2010 and contested its presidential primaries in 2011 but lost.

In 2012, she founded the National Democratic Party (NDP), becoming its presidential candidate for the 2016 general election. She was the first woman in Ghana’s history to contest a presidential election as a candidate of the NDP.

Her legacy also extended to international advocacy. She played a pivotal role at the 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and participated in regional peace initiatives involving First Ladies across West Africa and the wider African continent.

Her advocacy for the rights of women and children also contributed to the enactment of several PNDC laws, including PNDC Laws 111, 112, 113, 114 and 115, as well as Article 28(1) of the 1992 Constitution. These legal protections are also reflected in the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560).

The family said Nana Konadu would be remembered for standing firmly by her convictions, serving Ghana with distinction and leaving an enduring mark on the country’s history.

It added that her legacy would continue to inspire women and children in Ghana and beyond for generations to come.