After facilitating the dialogue workshops, we felt a strong responsibility—not only to use the results further or produce a research report for the project itself, but also to ensure that the insights reached those who had contributed their time and experiences. Results from participatory research process should not remain locked in academic papers or reports meant only for policymakers; it should also be accessible to the communities it seeks to serve.
Sharing Insights: Making Research Results Accessible
With this in mind, we wanted to create a version of our findings that was visually engaging, easy to explore, and available in both Finnish and English. Talented graphic designer Aleksandra Davydenko illustrated the results in a way that speaks beyond words. The centrepiece of this effort is The Mountain of Belonging—a visual representation of the journey newcomers navigate as they settle in Finland. Around the mountain, key insights are arranged by theme, allowing viewers to explore as much or as little detail as they wish.
This process reminded us of the importance of sharing research findings in ways that are not just understandable but also meaningful to the people they concern. These beautiful and thoughtful illustrations will be available also as posters and stickers —a small way to carry these stories forward.
Most importantly, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to all the participants who shared their experiences with us. Making research findings accessible is not just about good communication—it’s about respect, reciprocity, and ensuring that those who contributed to the knowledge-building process can see and engage with the outcomes.
Main Findings and Learnings
Despite the variations in participants’ backgrounds and discussed topics, several recurring themes emerged. Resettling and building a new life often involve a sense of missing and searching for—for familiarity, for community, for information, or for opportunities. When these needs remain unmet for extended periods, frustration and disillusionment can take root. Some participants expressed how repeated unmet needs, such as the inability to secure meaningful employment or fearing for their future, led them to question their decision to stay in Finland.
Safety meant different things to different participants. Participants with forced background emphasized physical security, while for others safety refers to the ability to make independent choices or finding emotional stability. These insights underline the importance of addressing individual needs while also recognizing the shared challenges that many immigrant women face.
Agency—the ability to make informed choices and shape one’s life—was a recurring topic. Language skills, employment opportunities, and financial independence were frequently cited as factors influencing a person’s sense of control. Time and age also played a critical role, with many women describing how their feelings of belonging, agency, and their relationship with Finland evolved or accumulated over the years.
Time emerged as a crucial factor in multiple ways. Our findings confirm that integration is anything but linear. There are moments of excitement—the honeymoon phase, the bliss of the summer, the initial relief upon arrival, the joy of meeting new people. But these are often followed by more challenging periods: struggles with employment, difficulties in learning the language, or feelings of isolation. The longer these challenges persist without adequate support, the more they tend to compound, sometimes leaving a lasting emotional toll. However, time also plays a healing role, smoothing out the rough patches and allowing for growth. Age, too, shaped how participants perceived their journey—topics such as accessibility, healthcare quality, and financial stability became particularly relevant for those at different life stages.
Wrapping It Up
The findings from the dialogue workshops were as diverse as the participants themselves—each person’s contribution carried a story and added a unique layer to the overall picture, a mosaic of lived experiences shaped by personal circumstances and shifting external factors. This made it difficult to draw simple conclusions, because for every common theme, there were countless individual nuances and interconnections.
And as with any research, some of the most important and thought-provoking insights remained beyond the scope of our report. Not everything can be captured in data or neatly summarised. But what remains clear is this: the process of resettling is deeply personal, shaped by structural conditions but also by individual agency, relationships, and time itself. Understanding and addressing these realities requires more than policies—it requires listening, adapting, and making space for experiences that don’t fit into predefined categories.
Magdalena Kosova
Magdalena currently works as a project worker at Visio with the EU-cofunded ReDesign Belonging Project, where we foster a sense of belonging and participation among migrant women through co-creation. She has a background in academic research (Sociology and Social and Cultural Anthropology) and now pursuits her love for creating inclusive spaces and services.