A mighty tree has fallen; the reverberations of which are shaking the very foundations of Ghanaian society.
Yes, Mrs Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings has abruptly and sadly exited the realms of earth.
This is a tribute to an extraordinary woman — former First Lady, whose legacy will forever illuminate the path towards women’s empowerment, justice and independence.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was a true super-hero in all aspects of the word and space here cannot do justice to a deserving tribute.
So, dear readers, allow me to dedicate this to a woman who became part of my early life here in Ghana after 20 years studying and working in England. She was a mother, advisor, mentor and a client par excellence.
I got to know her through her daughter, a colleague barrister in the UK. My numerous conversations with her daughter about politics in Ghana, I believe, convinced her to introduce me to her parents after we both came down to Ghana to pursue the post-call law programme designed for lawyers who had qualified in other jurisdictions.
Even though my initial dealings were with the late President, it didn’t take long after meeting his wife to become part of her set-up at her Ridge office. She was a passionate human rights activist and a consummate advocate for women’s empowerment.
Given my human rights background, it soon became clear that we both had a singular devotion to all things ‘human rights’.
Before long, I had become her lawyer, both in a personal capacity as well as for her party, the National Democratic Party (NDP), when she broke away from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), even though I had been a member of the NDC branch of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Advocate
Mrs Rawlings was not only a formidable leader in her own right, but a tireless and unrepentant advocate for the voiceless.
Her unwavering commitment to human rights, especially the rights and dignity of women, transformed lives and inspired, and continues to inspire, many today.
Through her fearless voice and compassionate heart, she championed women’s empowerment, education and social justice.
Her singular devotion to the founding of the 31st December Women’s Movement, and the spectacular impact its formation bestowed on many Ghanaian women, is the stuff of legend.
Into every space she entered, she carved grace, wisdom and courage.
She spoke truth to power, often in circumstances where it was neither easy nor popular, and she did all this with total humility and absolute conviction.
Her lasting legacy endures in the women who now walk taller because she showed them that they could; in the young girls who dream freely because she opened the door; and in the countless communities across the length and breadth of the country, uplifted by her compassion and extraordinary strength.
Her human rights advocacy was intense and infectious, manifested in many achievements, not least her role in Ghana’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
She organised, encouraged and supported many women through the establishment of numerous cottage industries, which elevated them from poverty.
By setting up countless nurseries across the country, she socially engineered their economic freedom by creating time and space to enable them to venture into many small-scale industries, thereby freeing them from the shackles of property and ushering them into financial independence.
Empowerment
Not only was she a colossus in women's empowerment, but she also had a pulsating human touch and affection for people.
For me, on a personal level, her most singular act of compassion, which I will forever cherish, was making time despite her tight schedule to travel all the way to Dunkwa-on-Offin to grace my mother’s funeral and support me in my grief.
Her work ethic was well known, and she spent many long hours campaigning for the issues she believed in.
But this didn’t prevent her from enjoying the lighter side of life.
She loved fashion (she designed all her own clothes), she loved celebrations, music and, above all, dancing. She was full of ‘joie de vivre’ and it was infectious.
As the whole nation comes to terms with her sudden demise, the least I can do is to continue to follow her blazing trail by championing human rights.
Damirifa Due, Mama — I am privileged to have known you and worked with you. Fare thee well.
The writer is a lawyer.
E-mail: georgebshaw1@gmail.com
