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Yaa Asantewaa Rawlings Biography: Leading the J.J. Rawlings Foundation and Honouring Her Parents’ Legacy
At her father’s state funeral in 2020, Yaa Asantewaa Rawlings described him in three words: “Soldier. Warrior. Father.”
Named after the 19th-century Asante warrior queen who led resistance against British colonial forces, she has spent the years since building a public role of her own, steering the foundation that carries her father’s name while repeatedly stepping forward to speak for the Rawlings family at moments of national and personal significance.
Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman-Rawlings is a Ghanaian public figure and the second daughter of former Ghanaian President Jerry John Rawlings and former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.
She currently serves as Executive Director of the J.J. Rawlings Foundation.
Profile
| Full name | Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman-Rawlings |
|---|---|
| Born | March 2, in Ghana |
| Nationality | Ghanaian |
| Parents | Jerry John Rawlings and Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings |
| Education | BA in Social Studies, Trinity College, University of Dublin (2003); Master’s degree, Boston University |
| Occupation | Executive Director, J.J. Rawlings Foundation |
Family Background
Yaa Asantewaa is the second of four children born to Jerry John Rawlings, who twice seized power in Ghana before leading the country’s transition to multi-party democracy and serving as its elected president, and Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, who served as Ghana’s First Lady from 1981 to 2001.
Her siblings are Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, a physician and politician who has served as a Member of Parliament and government minister; Amina Agyeman-Rawlings, a lawyer; and Kimathi Agyeman-Rawlings.
Education
Yaa Asantewaa completed her early education at Achimota School in Accra before attending Trinity College, University of Dublin, in Ireland, where she was admitted in September 1999 and graduated in 2003 with a degree in Social Studies. She went on to complete a master’s degree at Boston University in Massachusetts, in the United States.
Eulogizing Jerry Rawlings (2020–2021)
Jerry John Rawlings died on November 12, 2020, at age 73, and was given a state funeral in Accra.
In a personal tribute delivered around the funeral, Yaa Asantewaa recalled memories including watching her father build and fly his own model aircraft, and family drives near Akosombo that were sometimes interrupted by bushfires.
She said her father had raised her “to challenge the ordinary and to push beyond our comfortable boundaries,” and recounted his parting advice to her, quoting him as saying, according to GhanaWeb, “Never let your feet leave the ground.”
In a further tribute delivered in January 2021 at an event organised by the Cuban Trained Ghanaian Graduates Association, she defended her father’s 31 December 1981 coup, arguing it had been necessary to correct what she described as “politicians who denied the ordinary citizens their rights to social justice.”
Executive Director of the J.J. Rawlings Foundation
Yaa Asantewaa now leads the J.J. Rawlings Foundation as its Executive Director, a role in which she has continued to represent her father’s legacy in public life.
In June 2025, she delivered the keynote address at a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of the dedication of the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre in Accra, an institution her father’s government had helped re-establish in 1985. She described that decision as reflecting her father’s view that preserving the centre was “a duty to history.”
Her Mother’s Death and the 2025–2026 Funeral Rites
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings died on October 23, 2025, at Ridge Hospital in Accra.
In the months that followed, Yaa Asantewaa took on a public role in the family’s mourning process, appearing alongside her sister Amina at family and public events, and participating in a press briefing on the arrangements for her mother’s final funeral rites, held alongside Oheneba Akwasi Abayie in early 2026.
Sources
- MyJoyOnline — Establishment of W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre Was a Visionary Move by Rawlings – Yaa Asantewaa
- ModernGhana — Yaa Asantewaa Rawlings Justifies Her Father’s 31st December Coup
- GhanaWeb — From Exciting Weekend Drives to Quenching Bushfires – Yaa Asantewaa Rawlings Eulogises Father
- Wikipedia — Jerry Rawlings
- Wikipedia — Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings
- Pulse Ghana — Meet the Beautiful Family of Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings
- YEN.com.gh — Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman-Rawlings: 5 Rare Photos of Nana Konadu’s Daughter Who Studied in the USA
- YEN.com.gh — Rawlings’ Children: Jobs, Education and More Details
Zeez is the editor and founder of BioOrbit, where he researches and writes biographies of public figures from Nigeria and around the world. With 5 years of experience writing about news, entertainment, sports and politics, Zeez focuses on verified facts, clear sourcing and regular updates. Found an error? Report a correction.
