United in Feminist Resistance | Hildashaus e.V.

United in Feminist Resistance is a multilingual podcast series by Hildashaus, hosted by Sijé Fernanda Vargas from the Hildashaus team. It creates a powerful space for grassroots feminist voices, lived experiences, and community knowledge that are too often excluded from mainstream conversations.

Podcast Episode 3 — Beyond “Integration”: Belonging, Mental Health & Collective Care

“Integration” is often presented as a necessary step towards belonging. But what happens when integration becomes a demand to assimilate, conform, and leave parts of one's identity behind?

In this episode, Sijé is joined by Safia Ibrahimkhel, Iman Abdulhamed and Federica Cecalupo to challenge dominant narratives of integration and question the responsibility placed on migrants to adapt to a society that does not necessarily offer them equal opportunities to participate or belong.

Together, they explore the emotional and psychological cost of these expectations. How do experiences of exclusion, discrimination and the constant pressure to prove one's worth affect mental health, self-esteem and wellbeing? What happens when belonging becomes something people are constantly expected to earn?

Drawing on Hildashaus's experience, the conversation also explores why we prioritise social participation over integration, and how we work to challenge linguistic, economic and social barriers that limit access to social participation in all its forms, particularly for migrant women aged 40+.

The discussion also reflects on the importance of community spaces as places of connection, mutual support and collective care. But creating and sustaining these spaces comes with its own challenges.

Against a backdrop of funding cuts, precarious working conditions and increasing pressure on grassroots organisations, the conversation also addresses the often invisible emotional labour involved in sustaining feminist community work.

Iman Abdulhamed is a mental health professional with extensive experience in Syria and Berlin. She specialises in psychological therapy, psychosocial support and humanitarian work, particularly with refugees and displaced communities, including providing therapeutic support to people in Gaza. Her work focuses on mental wellbeing, trauma and the psychological challenges faced by communities affected by displacement, conflict and exclusion.

Safia Ibrahimkhel is an Afghan feminist activist, researcher and peacebuilding advocate currently seeking asylum in Germany. She holds an MPhil in International Relations and has worked with the University of Oxford, GIZ and UNHCR on displacement, education, protection and social inclusion. Combining professional expertise with lived experience, she advocates for women's rights, refugee-led initiatives and inclusive approaches to social justice.

Federica Cecalupo is a feminist and Founder and Executive Director of Hildashaus e.V. Her work focuses on challenging structural inequalities, promoting meaningful social, cultural and economic participation, and creating accessible, community-led spaces that recognise and value migrant women's knowledge, experiences and skills.

Sijé Fernanda Vargas is a Chicana journalist and digital communication specialist whose experiences across Mexico, the United States and Germany have shaped her commitment to decolonial and antiracist activism. Based in Berlin, she is the founder and an active member of NiUnxMenosRed and works at Hildashaus as a Digital Communication Specialist. She approaches communication as a tool for collective empowerment, community mobilisation, and social change.