In conversation with Anja Soussan
International Women’s Day - a reason, and a reminder.
Not every system exists in legislation or institutions. Some live within daily life.
In our conversation with Anja Soussan, the focus turned to the quieter structures surrounding women’s lives: caregiving, self-awareness, and the often unseen role of holding the details of a family together.
A perspective shaped by both cultural work and personal reflection.
If you could redesign one system to improve women’s lives, what would it be - and why?
I would redesign our idea of self-care. Maybe we don’t have to speak loudly about it, but we do need to give it a voice for our children.
As a mother of two, who will grow up with cycles of their own, I feel the need to understand my own. I am over 40 and only now becoming truly aware of my rhythm, my need for calmness, reflection, and the different ways I move through the month.
Soon, I will be on my way out of this cycle just as we have finally begun to understand and accept each other. That feels a little sad because we didn’t always have the best relationship. So hands up for giving our children more than we had.
Let’s provide them with an inner language for their cycles and an understanding of how life is allowed to feel from the inside. I often tell them that self-care is not a bubble bath, but the ability to meet yourself where you are in that moment.
Because real progress changes systems. Performative progress changes language and images.
WHICH WOMAN PAST OR PRESENT - WOULD YOU MOST WANT TO SIT NEXT TO AT A DINNER PARTY AND WHY?
"I want to be as interested as I am interesting"
This quote shapes how I move through the world and also reflects my fascination with identity. Who we are, how we shape ourselves, and how we navigate life.
So if I could pick one woman to sit next to at dinner, it would be Tilda Swinton. Not for her films, but for her intellectual calm. She is pure coolness!! Elegant, effortless, and curious. She simply is, and I really, really admire that.
With her, a conversation would focus on the way we look at art, cultures, and the ways people experience and live in the world. So many interesting angles to explore. Honestly? Please just call me Tilda.
What truth about women’s lives in 2026 is still underestimated?
Even in families striving for equality, the truth is that someone often ends up being the Head of Details. The one who tracks birthdays, school projects, appointments, and who needs what when. That role still most often falls to women.
I believe an important process is creating shared clarity and responsibility in the family. Progress happens when the work is shared. When calendars, routines, and weekly check-ins give everyone a clear overview and responsibility feels collective instead of resting on one person. Policies that encourage fathers to take parental leave and participate in caregiving are changing behavior, and I like that.
When caregiving is shared and more women feel financially independent, partnerships can feel genuinely equal.
Anja'S FAVOURITE KINRADEN PIECES
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GLOW HOOP LARGE |
GLOW HOOP MEDIUM |
GLOW HOOP LARGE |
What stayed with us was her definition of self-care. Not something external or decorative, but the ability to meet yourself honestly where you are.
Perhaps that kind of awareness is also where wider change begins - in the way we share responsibility, speak about cycles, and raise the next generation with a clearer inner language.
The series continues in the coming days. Check our Journal tomorrow to read the next voice.
With Love,
KINRADEN