Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings has revealed that it took a great deal of effort for former President Jerry Rawlings to believe in her and her 31st December Women’s Movement.

According to her, the former President had no hope in the prospects of her organisation and her ability to put it together.

“You have no idea what I went through even with the 31st movement, my husband was the Head of State; not his Ministers, not even he (Rawlings) believed in us from the beginning. He didn’t”.

“Then one day he was like; what exactly have you been doing. Then I said, ahaa! It means we are making an impact,” Konadu Rawlings told graduating students of the IPMC in Accra.

She urged the Youth not to be deterred by challenges that come their way as they try to establish their identity in society.

“Do not be discouraged by failure, you go up and down. Sometimes it’s difficult to let people see but when you start moving, they will feel your passion and creativity”.

The former First Lady and a number of like-minded women in 1983 established the 31st December Women's Movement, a non-governmental organisation, with the objective to empower women socio-politically, economically and culturally.