REFLECTIONS: THE FLAME AND THE FOOTPRINTS: NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS

By Professor Douglas Boateng

October 23, 2025

1. Ghana and the world remember Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, a woman who stood tall among giants such as Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Margaret Thatcher. Though from different lands and ideologies, they shared a sacred thread of audacity to lead, courage to confront, and will to transform.
2. ⁠Like Winnie, Nana Konadu understood that empowerment is not handed down but wrestled from resistance. Both women fought for visibility in societies that preferred their silence. Both carried the burden of boldness, misunderstood by some and immortalised by many.
3. ⁠Like Thatcher, she embodied the paradox of power, admired and criticised yet never ignored. Both stood firm in turbulent times, driven by clarity of purpose and belief in the power of women to lead and reform.
4. ⁠Through the 31st December Women’s Movement, she championed women and children’s causes. Her decision to form and lead her own political party declared that courage must never wait for permission.
5. ⁠I once witnessed her warmth and grace at a Legends Night concert organised by the Global Media Alliance, where her dancing charmed every heart.
6. ⁠Legacy is not about perfection but about impact. She can rest in peace knowing she did her part and will be warmly welcomed by our ancestors for a life boldly lived and purposefully fulfilled.