Born in Dunedin to a family of Scottish descent, Jean Begg cut short her studies for a degree at Otago University to attend the Presbyterian Missionary Training School and set out for the mission field. This led her first to a tiny island off Samoa, where for nine years she ministered and provided medical help. She then trained in New York as a social worker and wrote her thesis on a scheme to reorganise a reformatory for delinquent girls, where her experiences enabled her to develop her ideas about integrating young offenders into society. From 1926 she was secretary of the YWCA in Auckland, a demanding organisational role through which she could promote Christian principles in preparing young women to take their places in the community “as well-balanced and perceptive leaders in the home, workroom or office”.

In 1931 Jean Begg went to India to help reorganise the Indian YWCA, and in 1940 was asked to organise recreational facilities for servicewomen in the Middle East. After setting a high standard of provision in Egypt, she went on to carry out similar tasks in Italy and Burma, establishing excellent centres where nurses and other women from all the services could gain respite on leave and meet other women. At the end of the war, she was in charge of repatriating women war prisoners from Singapore, went to Japan to help women in reconstruction there, and subsequently travelled to London to improve their YWCA hostel facilities. After her return to New Zealand she continued work for CORSO.

Jean Begg had an impressive physical presence, but her great impact was through her vigour and zest for life. She combined her deep religious faith with an egalitarian and democratic vision, despising prejudice. Her great gift of friendship touched the lives of many women in many countries.