Women's Day Belonged to the Brave

No Fear: 
Women’s Day Belonged to the Brave

“Superstition ends where courage begins.” That was the spirit of this year’s Women’s Day event, which the carmaker held on Friday, 13 March.

The audience responded to the first call to action even before the event: Be bold at first glance; wear colours you wouldn’t normally choose. Step out of your comfort zone and present a more confident version of yourself.

The symbolic date of Friday the 13th turned into an inspiring morning at the Škoda Museum, filled with discussion, new perspectives and the courage to step outside established patterns. The event began with morning networking, initial interactions at pop-up booths and contributions to the “Wall of courage”, where visitors shared their bold decisions. 

The atmosphere was further enhanced by the dress code. All participants arrived in bold colours that filled the entire space. Their attire became a symbol of the day’s central theme: the courage to express oneself, be seen and step out of one’s comfort zone.

At 9 a.m., the event officially began with the song “Brave”, which set the tone for the entire day. The entire event was hosted by a great duo: Nikola Nováčková from the VM – Marketing department and Vojtěch Veselý from the GSM – Platform and Modular Strategy, Change Management department. The first to take the stage were familiar faces: Maren Gräf, Board Member for People & Culture, and Jaroslav Povšík, Chairman of the Works Council of KOVO Trade Union, who opened the event. 

This year’s Women’s Day showed that courage takes numerous forms, and each has its place.

Podcast and Mexican wave

This was followed by a podcast featuring Maren Gräf and Michael Kerschensteiner, the new CPO (B) for Škoda and the Eastern Region. Another highlight was a talk by Petr Ludwig, a Czech expert on efficiency and personal development, during which the three bravest participants from the audience were rewarded with a copy of his book. The audience remained active throughout the event. For example, they joined in a Mexican wave or the “get to know your neighbour” challenge, which fostered an open and friendly atmosphere.

Courage in transition

After some light refreshments and networking in the pop-up zones, the second block began. The audience was energised by the rhythm of the song “We Will Rock You”. Next, Johana and Gabriela Bázlerová, a mother–daughter duo from Mladá Boleslav, took to the stage to introduce the theme of everyday courage. They shared their perspectives on how courage changes with age and how each of us finds it within ourselves in everyday decisions. They were followed by Věra Kirchnerová, who, as Mia, won the second season of the reality show Zrádci (The Traitors). She addressed powerful topics from her police work, particularly the risks associated with sharing photos of children on social media. Her talk was followed by a light-hearted Q&A session where the audience could also ask about her experience on the reality show. The event concluded with Tali, a Czech influencer and comedian, and her energetic slam poetry (a performative genre of original poetry – ed.).

Pop-up zones 

Interactive pop-up zones also played a key role throughout the day, exploring courage from the perspectives of technology, innovation and corporate culture.  

The interactive booths offered visitors various perspectives on what courage means in practice, from technology to everyday workplace topics. Participants could try virtual reality used in lighting development, challenge their assumptions about the use of artificial intelligence, or discover Škoda’s new project platform. Courage was also evident in the area of product and process innovation. Visitors got a glimpse into the process of preparing the Kodiaq for transport to the Indian market, tried their hand at painting and explored the features of the MyŠkoda app. Booths focused on corporate culture and breaking stereotypes added a further dimension to the event. They addressed topics such as debunking myths in purchasing, the importance of allyship and involvement in employee groups. Supporting women has also been, and continues to be, an important part of the company’s efforts, whether in sports through sponsorship of women’s hockey and cycling races or in technical fields. Inspiration was also shared with visitors by representatives of the KOVO Trade Union at their booth with the slogan “Heart – Mind – Strength” and by Škoda Employee Insurance, which encouraged visitors to dare to dream, take risks and create a new future.

What “superstition” or stereotype held you back the most, and where do you find the courage when you are afraid or in doubt?

Věra Kirchnerová (Mia)

Chief Commissioner of the Czech Police and winner of the second season of the Zrádci (The Traitors) reality show 

It was the feeling that I had to please everyone and accommodate them. The moment I learned to say no was very liberating. I always find courage within myself. I slow down, take a breath and remind myself who I am and where I am, because most fears exist only in our minds.

Johana Bázlerová 

An influencer who explains current events to Generation Z

More than superstition, I’m troubled by the general misogyny directed at women. In the past, especially on Twitter, online hate attacks that were impossible to prepare for held me back the most. Today I know that I’m good at what I do and that it matters. Some anonymous person online isn’t going to ruin my day.

Natálie Schejbalová (Tali)

Czech influencer and comedian 

For a long time, I felt that girls had to be, above all, nice and popular. Not to stand out too much, not to complain. But I’m a comedian. My job is to say things straight up. Over time, I realised that if I’m not brave, I’ll never say anything interesting. The best cure for doubt is to just do it and not blame yourself for not even trying. We all have courage within us, so one, two, three… and go for it.

Gabriela Bázlerová

MGMT License and IT Risk Management Specialist, FIG department 

I don’t think I was ever consciously burdened by superstition and stereotypes, but as a middle-aged woman, I see them in a broader life context. First, society discouraged us when we were young; then came the period of starting a family and balancing everything with work; and suddenly, you’re at a stage where age is once again a perceived barrier. Fortunately, young women today are less constrained in this regard. I see a lot of capable women around me who, despite the obstacles, do their jobs exceptionally well and refuse to be intimidated or silenced.

Petr Ludwig

Expert in efficiency and personal development

I’m a bit of a punk at heart, and punk is all about breaking stereotypes. If someone told me that something couldn’t be done or was impossible, it was a clear command to try it and prove them wrong. That’s also the best way to overcome fear. In a complex world full of change, we’ll never be certain that what we’re doing is right. The key is to try things and allow ourselves to fail sometimes but also to learn from those failures.