Sans Passport was founded by Fiyola Hoosen Steele, a diplomat and human right activist who believes that we are shaped by our surroundings and counts herself fortunate to be have been born in South Africa, to have marched to the beat of Nelson Mandela's drum and to have witnessed her country transform itself from a land of oppression to one of freedom and democracy.

She established Sans Passport because the history of her country has inspired her to seek for others that which South Africans have earned for themselves, not only through miracles, determination, savvy and steadfast belief but also through the implementation of programs and strategies that promote human rights achievement and socio-economic development for all people.

She has worked in the field of human rights for over thirteen years and has extensive experience in the complexity and diversity of the subject from both a theoretical and practical perspective.

She received a Bachelor of Laws degree and a Bachelor of Arts Honors degree in International Relations from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom.

She served as a South African diplomat at the United Nations in Geneva and the United Nations in New York. The scope and focus of her representation has been multilateral inter-governmental negotiations in the field of human rights, advancement of women and social development in the Commission for Human Rights, the Human Rights Council and the Third Committee of the General Assembly. She has also represented South Africa in major international human rights conferences and seminars.

During her tenure, she represented the developing world (Group of 77and China, the SADC and African Group) as chief negotiator in various human rights and social development forums and meetings of the United Nations.

She served on a number of United Nations bureaus, notably the bureau for the International Convention on Persons with Disabilities, the Commission for Social Development and the bureau for the Third Committee of the General Assembly.

Whilst at the UN, she annually drafted and successfully negotiated the United Nations resolution entitled, "Implementation of the Outcome of the World Summit for Social Development" and the resolution entitled,"The Social Dimensions of NEPAD."

One of her proudest accomplishments was to have drafted and successfully negotiated the United Nations resolution, which declared 18 July, Nelson Mandela Day, making it the first time in the history of the United Nations that the human rights and humanitarian achievements of an individual would be celebrated.

Another key moment was to have negotiated (on behalf of the Africa Group) the first United Nations resolution that calls for the ending of Female Genital Mutilation.

It is these kinds of discriminatory practices against women and girls that propel her to promote and execute quality programs and strategies for the achievement of gender equality and the advancement of women. She has also represented South Africa in the Committee on the Status of Women, the follow-up to Beijing +10 and on the issues of system wide coherence at the United Nations, which has led to the establishment of the new UN Gender Entity, called UN Women.

Her commitment to human rights, especially the advancement of the rights of women, children and other vulnerable groups, extend beyond her professional work. She has volunteered her services in the African National Congress Women's League, the Women's National Coalition of South Africa and the Advice Desk for Abused Women.

She currently participates in a mentorship program on Women and Foreign Policy.

She is a member of the Governing Board of the Afghanistan Women's Writing Project (AWWP).

She also writes articles on issues related to human rights, social justice and cultural diversity as seen through her personal lens. These articles can be found on the Sans Passport Blog and some have been published in magazines.

She lives in New York and Johannesburg.