HRH the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg giving her speech at the MEDEC Summer School; Credit: © Cour grand-ducale / Frédéric Reglain

On Thursday, Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg participated as an international guest at the "Mouvement des Entreprises de France" (MEDEF) Summer School, held this year at the Longchamp Racecourse in Paris.

This new edition of the event, this year renamed "La Rencontre des Entrepreneurs de France" ("meeting for France's entrepreneurs"), focused on the topic "Our Future(s), climate, inequalities, conflicts... What is the capitalism of tomorrow?" and brought together more than 7,000 entrepreneurs on 28 and 29 August 2019.

Following her welcome and an exchange with Geoffroy Roux de Bezieux, MEDEF's current president, as well as Pierre Gattaz, MEDEF's former president and president of Business Europe, the Grand Duchess took the stage to give a speech.

Her Royal Highness opened the second afternoon of the event by addressing her own convictions and concrete actions to end the inequalities facing women today. On this occasion, she stated that one of her beliefs is "that the place of women in societies partly determines our common future. Equality in law and indeed, the education of girls, their economic independence, but also the fight against violence against women are major issues".

The Grand Duchess went on to provide the example of Luxembourg, especially in the context of the first "Stand Speak Rise Up!" International Forum which she herself organised last March to offer victims from all over the world an opportunity to speak on a subject that directly affected them. She also insisted that "accepting any form of violence against women is undermining the cement of our societies and their future".

The entrepreneurs present reiterated this message with several bosses promising to be more vigilant and to spread greater awareness of the subject within their companies.

Her Royal Highness' speech was followed by a question and answer session on the MEDEF platform during which the Grand Duchess spoke about the involvement of Luxembourgish and French companies in the fight against discrimination against women.