Houdek: Silence Hurts. Speaking Heals.
34 ǀ POSITIV WOMAN
Silence Hurts.
Speaking Heals.
An author, lecturer and ambassador of the project The ŽENY speaks openly about her trauma, her
journey to inner strength, and the importance of the Modern self-defence as an everyday mindset.
In this interview, she shares why she wrote a book that gives a voice to those who remained silent
for so long, what it means to stand up for oneself – and why rest, too, is a form of self-defence.
What motivated you to write your first book- a true
guide to reclaiming freedom and dignity?
The main driving force was anger and determination.
For fifteen years, I carried the pain and feeling that
someone had taken my freedom and dignity from me.
I realised I no longer wanted anyone else to experience
that in silence. I wanted to shout to the world: You
have the right to take back what no one should ever
have taken from you! That’s why the book is so direct
and bold—because that was exactly the kind of voice
I was missing back then.
In the book you touch on very specific, often taboo
situations. Was the writing a form of therapy for you,
or a deliberate way to help others?
Writing hurt me, but in its own way it also healed
me. Even more importantly, though, from the very
beginning I wrote the book mainly for others—as
a practical handbook for anyone who is afraid to speak
up or doesn’t know how to defend themselves. Every
line, I believe, can give someone the strength to lift
themselves out of helplessness.
You became an ambassador for the project
The ŽENY. What personal challenge did you have
to overcome—and what led you to the point where
you now help women find their voice and set their
boundaries?
The rape when I was fourteen and the fifteen years
of silence that followed almost destroyed me. I blamed
myself and spiralled into self-destruction. Modern self-
defence was my turning point. Thanks to it, I broke
the silence and I realised that I am not a powerless
victim, and that I can defend myself. I got involved with
the project The ŽENY, which gives people courage
by sharing their truth.
I speak openly about my experience to give others
the courage to do the same: to find their voice and set
their boundaries.
Modern self-defence isn’t a training session
but a way of life. What does that encompass
for you—and what does your own day-to-day
self-defence look like?
For me, Modern self-defence is an everyday practice:
saying a clear NO and refusing to be pushed into
a corner, even when it’s ‘just’ a silly joke. Self-defence
starts with words and with stance, not with a punch.
It also means standing up for myself even at the cost
of not being liked. With this approach, I feel free
and strong.
Every line, I believe, can give someone
the strength to li themselves out
of helplessness.