Margaret Anstee

Dame Margaret Joan Anstee, (25 June 1926 – 25 August 2016) She was the first woman to hold this position. She grew up in the nearby city of Chelmsford and was educated at Chelmsford County High School for Girls. Neither of her parents had finished secondary school, but they encouraged her to complete her education. She went on to study at Newnham College, Cambridge, Anstee continued her studies at the University of London.

United Nations The marriage began to fail while the couple were based in Manila, and so in 1952, she took a position with the United Nations Technical Assistance Board in Manila as an administration officer in order to earn the money for a fare back to England.

Anstee worked on operational programmes of economic and social development in all regions of the world, mostly with the United Nations Development Programme. From 1987 to 1992 she served as Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna, Head of the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs and Coordinator of all United Nations narcotic drug-control programs. From 1992 to 1993 she was the Secretary-General's Special Representative to Angola; she was the first woman to head a UN peacekeeping mission. She left a legacy to found what is now the Margaret Anstee Centre for Global Studies, based at Newnham College.

Honours In 1991, Anstee was made an Honorary Fellow of Newnham College, Cambridge.

Anstee also wrote a biography of John Brande Trend, one of her professors at Cambridge.