RT Article T1 Exit as Care: How Motherhood Mediates Women’s Exodus From Violence in Mexico and Central America JF Violence against women VO 28 IS 1 SP 211 OP 231 A1 López Ricoy, Ana A2 Andrews, Abigail A2 Medina, Alejandra LA English YR 2022 UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1776231473 AB Today, growing numbers of mothers and children are fleeing Mexico and Central America. Most scholars attribute this displacement to organized crime, and a few note the importance of gender violence in driving women’s migration. Yet, less has been said about how violence affects motherhood or how motherhood shapes women’s decisions to leave. Drawing on 44 in-depth interviews with Mexican and Central American women seeking U.S. asylum, we show how multifaceted violence intensifies the burdens on mothers. At the same time, we argue, motherhood can offer a source of agency in contexts of normalized violence, inspiring women to flee. K1 Motherhood K1 Asylum Seekers K1 Violence K1 Gender K1 Central America K1 Mexico DO 10.1177/1077801221992875