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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's parliament members have decided to pull out from an global treaty created to protect women from abuse, covering family violence, following prolonged and heated debates in the parliament.

Several thousand of protesters gathered in Riga this past week to voice disagreement with the vote. The ultimate authority now lies with President the nation's president, who must decide whether to approve or reject the legislation.

Known as the Istanbul Convention, the 2011 agreement only took effect in the Baltic state last year, mandating authorities to establish laws and support services to eliminate all types of abuse.

The Baltic nation has become the first European Union member to begin the procedure of exiting from the convention. The transcontinental nation withdrew in 2021, a move that rights groups characterized as a major regression for women's rights.

Ideological Debate and Opposition

The international agreement was ratified by the European Union in 2023, yet traditionalist factions have argued that its focus on equal rights undermines family values and advances what they term "gender ideology".

Following a lengthy debate in the Saeima, lawmakers decided by a margin of 56-32 to exit from the convention, a move sponsored by political opponents but supported by politicians from one of the three governing partners.

The outcome represents a defeat for moderate conservative government leader Evika Silina, who joined protesters outside the legislature earlier this seven-day period. "We refuse to give up, we will continue fighting so that abuse will not prevail," she stated to the assembly.

Ideological Disagreements and Reactions

One of the main political groups supporting the withdrawal is Latvia First, whose head has called on citizens to choose between what he terms a "traditional family unit" and "non-binary concepts with various gender identities".

The nation's ombudswoman Karina Palkova urged the treaty not to be made political, while the organization Equality Now asserted it was "not a danger to Latvian values, it served as a tool to achieve them".

The Thursday's decision has provoked broad outcry both inside the country and abroad.

Twenty-two thousand people have signed a national appeal demanding the treaty to be maintained. The women's rights organization Centrs Marta has called a demonstration for next Thursday, charging lawmakers of disregarding the wishes of the nation's citizens.

International Concerns and Possible Next Steps

The head of the Council of Europe's legislative body commented that Latvia had made a hasty choice driven by false information. He characterized it as an "unprecedented and extremely worrying step backward for women's rights and human rights in the continent".

He added that since Turkey left the convention four years ago, cases of femicide and violence against women had risen sharply.

Because the vote did not achieve a supermajority majority, the head of state could potentially send back the legislation for additional consideration if he holds objections.

President Rinkevics announced on social media that he would evaluate the decision according to constitutional principles, "taking into account governmental and judicial factors, instead of ideological or political viewpoints".

Recently, another component of the ruling coalition, the Progressives, indicated it would not exclude appealing to the Constitutional Court.

"This decision represents a worrisome situation for gender equality not only in our nation but across the continent," commented a human rights activist.

• Domestic abuse statistics have been increasing in several European countries
• The Istanbul Convention requires specific legal protections for victims of gender-based violence
• Latvia's vote could affect comparable discussions in additional member states