Journal of Women's History

Abstract:

This article explores the humanitarian work of the Australian Communist Esme Odgers during the Spanish Civil War. Odgers's story highlights the child sponsorship program as a humanitarian technique, which has yet to be fully discussed within the history of Spanish humanitarian aid. Odgers's detailed letters written during the war offer unique insights into the material, social, and psychological conditions under which humanitarian workers labored, suggesting that such an activity was a multifaceted and unpredictable experience. An examination of this dimension allows for an exploration of emotions that are expected to be repressed by humanitarian workers, where the expression of individual emotions in the context of life and death is perceived as an indulgence. Further, a study of Odgers's humanitarian efforts during the civil war sheds light on the impact of these endeavors beyond Europe, extending our understanding of the global impact of the Spanish Civil War.