On March 25, 2025, Stand Speak Rise Up! was placed at the center of an exceptional day at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.
Driven by the unwavering commitment of H.R.H. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg and Chékéba Hachemi, the day strongly reaffirmed the founding mission of the association: to make the voices of survivors of sexual violence in conflict heard, and to bring the fight against rape as a weapon of war to the highest level.

A Day of Recognition and Mobilization

From the inauguration of the exhibition dedicated to the Luxembourgish language to the powerful campaign Thinking of You by artist Alketa Xhafa, each moment highlighted the values championed by Stand Speak Rise Up!.

The artist expressed her deep gratitude to the Grand Duchess, the first to believe in her work as early as 2019, during the Stand Speak Rise Up! Forum in Luxembourg, a founding moment of the initiative. She then received a symbolic t-shirt from the association, handed to her by the Grand Duchess and Chékéba Hachemi.

A Historic Speech in the Hemicycle

The highlight of the day was without a doubt the joint speech by the Grand Duchess and Chékéba Hachemi in the Hemicycle of the Council of Europe.
Before European parliamentarians and representatives, they reaffirmed the core pillars of our fight:

• Breaking the silence surrounding sexual violence in conflict,
• Creating safe spaces for Survivors to speak out,
• Engaging men in the fight against these crimes,
• Strengthening the role of education to dismantle patriarchy.

They also issued a strong call for the union of European cities and regions to collectively confront the use of rape as a weapon of war. This call received strong support from Marc Cools, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, who closed the session by endorsing the proposal to mobilize local governments.

Their intervention was followed by a standing ovation, highlighting the recognition and powerful impact of the message carried by Stand Speak Rise Up!.

Crédit photo : Maison du Grand-Duc / Kary Barthelmey