Grand Duchess & Stand Speak Rise Up! Mark Advocacy Events, Anniversary in March 2025

In March 2025, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg and the non-profit organisation Stand Speak Rise Up! (SSRU), which she founded in 2019, marked several key advocacy events related to the fight against rape as a weapon of war.

On Tuesday 25 March 2025, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and SSRU co-founder Chékéba Hachemi addressed the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, where they reiterated the need to recognise sexual violence in conflict as a deliberate military strategy. SSRU noted that the speech received formal acknowledgment, including a standing ovation and calls were made for increased engagement from European institutions and local authorities.

Earlier in the month, on Saturday 8 March 2025 (International Women’s Day), Chékéba Hachemi participated in the International Appeal of Women for Peace, Justice and Freedom, where she spoke about the situation of Afghan women, the urgency of support for survivors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the role of men in achieving equality.

On Friday 7 March 2025, SSRU and the French National Assembly co-hosted a conference “Rape as a Weapon of War: STOP!”, involving over 230 participants including parliamentarians, legal experts and survivors. The event led to the creation of a working group involving SSRU, civil society and MPs to further address the issue.

In partnership with Groupe SOS, SSRU published a White Paper entitled “Femmes en exil: l’urgence d’agir face aux violences de leurs parcours”, which sets out five policy recommendations for improving protection and support for women affected by violence during migration.

The non-profit organisation also marked the sixth anniversary of the Luxembourg Forum, held in March 2019, which gave rise to Stand Speak Rise Up! as a permanent association focused on advocating for survivors and addressing war-related sexual violence.

IK