Grand Duchess Maria Teresa opened up about inspiration behind supporting the wartime sexual violence survivors.
On Friday, April 18, the Royal Family of Luxembourg took to Instagram to share an update about the Grand Duchess’s latest engagement, which was accompanied by a video from the event.
During her new outing, Maria delivered an emotional speech at the 48th session of the Congress of the Council of Europe and spoke out in support of the survivors of wartime sexual assault.
“On March 25, 2025, at the 48th session of the Congress of the Council of Europe, H.R.H. the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg took the floor with emotion to share on the origins of her commitment towards survivors of wartime sexual violence,” stated the Royals in the post’s caption.
They continued, “Deeply moved by her 2016 meeting with Dr. Denis Mukwege, she decided to create the association Stand Speak Rise Up!, founded in 2019 with Chékéba Hachemi, to denounce the use of rape as a weapon of war and to support survivors in their journey of recovery.”
Stand Speak Rise Up!, which was founded in 2019 by Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and an Afghan-origin women’s rights activist Chékéba Hachemi, is an international non-profit organization.
The organization aims to raise awareness about rape and sexual violence, support survivors by amplifying their voices and help them speak out, and advocates for justice, protection, and long-term support for the victims.
