Fighting the “doom hovering over Europe”: Rosa Genoni and Hilda Clark, Two Feminist Professionals in Postwar Humanitarian Aid

Through analyzing the biographies and humanitarian actions of Rosa Genoni and Hilda Clark, this article focuses on the emergence of new professional female figures in the postwar humanitarian system who defined themselves and acted as feminists. I argue that their relief work went hand in hand with the claim to political and social equality for women. Seeing that both Genoni’s and Clark’s humanitarian activities, based on democratic and antifascist principles, faced obstacles and opposition on the side of authorities and institutions, I show how the scopes of action of the two professionals were significantly restricted and opposed by rising fascism in Europe (Genoni) and the shortcomings of the League of Nation’s policies (Clark). The examination is based on unpublished sources from organizational archives and police reports as well as ego documents that highlight individual experiences largely absent or silenced in official reports.