The Executive Director of the J.J. Rawlings Foundation, Ms Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman-Rawlings, has paid tribute to her late mother, former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, describing her as a fierce campaigner who spent her life driving the political, social, and economic development of Ghanaian communities.

Speaking at the launch of the Sheroes of Africa Coffee Table Book at The Palms by Eagles in Accra, Ms Agyeman-Rawlings noted that her mother possessed a fighting spirit that went far beyond basic gender advocacy. True national progress, she explained, only happens when local communities are given the tools and confidence to take control of their own futures.

Grassroots leadership and community work

Reflecting on her mother's approach to public life, Ms Agyeman-Rawlings highlighted her refusal to lead from behind a desk or stay inside the capital.

“This was my mother: boots on the ground. She did not believe in championing an idea from a distance. She went where the people were. She listened, she mobilized, she organized and she acted. She always said that there was not a single community in Ghana that she had not been to,” she said.

She stressed that the impact of her mother's life work extends far beyond her immediate family.

“Her Legacy, therefore, belongs not only to her children or to her family. It belongs to the women whose confidence she awakened; to the communities whose horizons she expanded; to the young people who saw in her an example of courage and resilience; and to every Ghanaian whose life was touched, directly or indirectly, by her work.”

Advancing local governance and women's political involvement

Looking back at the political history of the mid-1980s, the second daughter of the former First Lady recalled how her mother used the 31st December Women’s Movement to back the Provisional National Defence Council’s (PNDC) decentralisation policy, travelling across the country to explain the benefits of local administration to grassroots communities.

“She also recognized the opportunity presented by district-level elections and encouraged many women – including some of her own organisers – to put themselves forward for election and public service,” Ms Agyeman-Rawlings added.

Honoured among 100 African women leaders

The Sheroes of Africa Coffee Table Book, authored by Princess Flossy Tachie-Menson, profiles 100 prominent African women whose leadership and vision have influenced the continent. The event was chaired by former Malawian President Dr Joyce Banda, who serves as Chairperson of the Sheroes Foundation.

Commending the author and publishers, Ms Agyeman-Rawlings noted that the project plays an essential role in preserving vital history for future generations.

“We are deeply moved that Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, has been featured among these remarkable African women and that a commemorative copy is being presented in her honour. May these pages remind them that the flame she carried was never hers alone. It was a flame meant to be passed on,” she remarked.

Ahead of the first anniversary of her mother's passing on October 23, 2026, Ms Agyeman-Rawlings observed that a meaningful life continues through the people and places it touched.

“Yet today reminds us that a life of purpose does not end with physical departure. It continues in the people we inspire, the communities we strengthen, the courage we awaken and the legacy we leave behind,” she said.