Marawi to check on her children with the help of some relatives she was reunited with her four (4) children. [Fatima] Early morning on the 24th, the family decided that Hasana and the children had to leave Marawi and for her husband to be left behind together with their properties (house, vehicle, trading store). Hasana with her two children together with her sister and her two children started walking to the City Proper. Hasana repeatedly recounted the trauma of walking the streets of Marawi afraid of getting hit by bullets or being caught in a crossfire. [Hasana] For women who fled with their children, they also feared forced recruitment from the armed groups and at the same time feared the military and the checkpoints because of the absence of identification of their children. Hasana for instance shared the fear she felt for her fifteen year old son who sported a long hair. She said she heard that the Maute/Isis were recruiting young men and specially long haired men. Hasana explained “mahaba ang buhok ng anak ko … yun kinakatuakutan ko baka hablutin yung anak ko kung maiiwan. Yun di ko kakayanin” [ Hasana] Burden of fleeing while pregnant and/or with young children Another common account among women, specially mothers is the burden and difficulty of fleeing the conflict area when one is pregnant and/or with many children or dependents. Left on their own, some of the women had to decide that the family had to evacuate and had to bring with her the children and the elderly in her care. For LGBTIs, there was also an account of a gay Muslim man who had to assist elderly relatives, including one with disability in getting away from the conflict areas. Some of these accounts are presented here: Tarhata gave birth on the 23rd of May, the day the firefight began. She requested the traditional birth assistant to stay with her until she gave birth at around pm. The night she gave birth she had to walk carrying her new born child with her husband and three young children. Tarhata shared that it was also raining and without an umbrella, she had to wrap her newborn in a malong. “Umuulan po and wala kaming dalang payong. Basang basa nga ang anak ko, nilagyan ko lang ng malong.” [Tarhata] It was raining, I was carrying my five months old baby and my 10 year old boy was following. I have not brought anything with me except my two children. I forgot even to wear a bra when I left the house. [ Jocelyn Lagata] Asni was 8 months pregnant at the time when the crisis broke. They left their home and farm and walked few kilometers and sought the help of her husbands’ relative to send them away from Marawi City. She was sad upon knowing that there are homes that were ransacked and feared that theirs will not be an exemption. [Asni] She narrated that she was only able to bring a ‘Malong’ which she used to carry her one (1) year old daughter and run with others who were also trying to escape from fear of being caught in the crossfire. They just ride at random transport just to take them away from the conflict as fast as they can. They do not care where it is going they just ride with it as long as it is away from the conflict zone. [Noralyn] Leaving properties behind Most of the women who were interviewed left Marawi without bringing any of their personal properties except for the clothes on their back. A common narrative is to prioritize safety and security, and to ensure the safety of children and family members. The women expressed their worry for the properties they left behind – their houses, their appliances, and in the case of 46