Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings

Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, MP for Klottey-Korle

Graphic.com.gh Personality Profiles Oct - 16 - 2023 , 20:31 3 minutes read

Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings born on June 1, 1987, is a medical doctor, politician, humanitarian activist, and campaigner who is the eldest daughter of the 1st President under the 4th Republic of Ghana Jerry Rawlings (1993–2001) and former first lady Nana Konadu Agyeman (1993–2001).

She is a Member of Parliament for the Klottey-Korle Constituency in Greater Accra. She is also a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). She serves as a Member of the Defence and Interior Committee, the Business Committee, and the Standing Committee on Gender.

Dr Agyeman-Rawlings attended the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland for her medical degree. She also has certificates in defense management and conflict and crisis management from the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College. She also holds a Master's Degree certificate in Conflict, Peace and Security (EMCPS) from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping and Training Centre (KAIPTC).

Politics

Agyeman-Rawlings had remained outside the mainline political spotlight for most of her life. In June 2015, while she was serving as an Ambassador for TV3's fundraising campaign, "TV3 June 3 Disaster Support Fund", which was aimed at raising funds to support the victims of the 3 June flood and fire disaster, there were reports which suggested she was using her relief effort to launch a political campaign. She denied the reports stating that her activities over the weeks were geared towards raising funds for the victims of the disaster.

Parliamentary bid

On 11 September 2015, Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings filed her nomination papers to contest the Korle Klottey parliamentary primaries as a Member of Parliament, running against incumbent Korle Klottey MP Nii Armah Ashitey and Leeford Kpakpo Quarshie.

At the filing of her nominations, she maintained she had no prior political ambitions and her decision to contest was recent. Her involvement, according to her, was based on popular calls for political involvement, borne out of her cleaning campaign and other environmental activism. Her father, the former president, has since endorsed his daughter's decision.

Member of Parliament

She won 10 November 2015 primaries for Korley Klottey constituency in the Greater Accra Region and went on to win the seat in the 2016 Ghanaian general election held on 7 December 2016. She is currently an MP for the Klottey Korle Constituency. She serves on the Gender and Children Committee and Environment, Science and Technology Committee. She retained her seat In the 2020 general elections.

Achievement

In June 2015, she served as an Ambassador for TV3's fundraising campaign, "TV3 June 3 Disaster Support Fund", which was aimed at raising funds to support the victims of the 3 June flood and fire disaster.

Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings was instrumental in the co-development of a disaster and early-warning mobile application, and additionally in the retrofitting of carbon-reducing implements at a well-known night market in Accra, the research of which was presented at the Triple Helix Conference in Cape Town in 2019.

She also built a bridge for the Osu Anorhor community which has helped reduce the issue of floods and easy transportation in the community. In March 2014, Dr. Rawlings was a special guest at the exceptional Meeting of African Women in the framework of the crans-Montana Forum on Africa and the South-South Cooperation in Dakhla, which was aimed at promoting a more humane and impartial world.

Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings has three children.