Esi Sutherland-Addy is a Ghanaian academician, writer, educationalist, and human rights activist. She is a Professor at the Institute of African Studies, where she has been senior research fellow, head of the Language, Literature, and Drama Section, and associate director of the African Humanities Institute Program at the University of Ghana. She is credited with more than 50 publications in the areas of education policy, higher education, female education, literature, theatre and culture and serves on numerous committees, boards and commissions locally and internationally. She is the daughter of writer and cultural activist Efua Sutherland.