Motherhood Expectations. Stories of women who are not (yet) mothers in the Eritrean diaspora in Italy

Abstract

This article is based on an ethnography conducted in Rome and Milan among migrants from Eritrea and focuses on experiences of women who have not children. It examines narratives, experiences, and the challenges they face in relation to their delayed or absent reproductive paths. The article expands upon the notion of “reproductive disruption” and scrutinizes the impact of exclusion, marginalization, couple-related difficulties, and self-cultivation on the postponement of reproduction. Furthermore, it focuses on the social and familial consequences of these women’s non-compliance with the prevailing reproductive expectations within their respective social groups (local, diasporic, and transnational). The aim is to explore the significance of motherhood in the aspirations of migrant women, examine the ways in which women subjectivities are constructed and reconstructed, and reflect on the notion of agency within a context characterized by constraints, limitations, and missed opportunities.