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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's lawmakers have voted to withdraw from an international accord created to safeguard females from violence, including domestic abuse, following extensive and intense debates in the parliament.

Several thousand of protesters assembled in the capital this past week to oppose the decision. The final decision now lies with President Edgars Rinkevics, who must decide whether to endorse or reject the legislation.

Known as the European treaty, the 2011 agreement only became active in the Baltic state last twelve months ago, mandating governments to develop laws and support services to end all types of abuse.

Latvia has become the initial EU country to initiate the process of withdrawing from the convention. Turkey pulled out in 2021, a decision that rights groups characterized as a significant setback for gender equality.

Ideological Debate and Resistance

The international agreement was approved by the EU in 2023, yet conservative groups have contended that its emphasis on gender equality undermines family values and advances what they term "gender ideology".

Following a thirteen-hour discussion in the Saeima, MPs voted 56 to 32 to exit from the convention, a action sponsored by opposition parties but backed by politicians from one of the three coalition parties.

The outcome represents a setback for moderate conservative government leader Evika Silina, who stood with demonstrators 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 crowd.

Ideological Disagreements and Reactions

One of the main political groups supporting the exit is Latvia First, whose head has called on citizens to choose between what he terms a "natural family" and "non-binary concepts with multiple sexes".

The nation's human rights commissioner the rights official urged the agreement not to be politicized, while the group Equality Now asserted it was "not a danger to Latvian values, it was an instrument to achieve them".

The recent decision has sparked widespread outcry both inside the country and internationally.

22,000 people have endorsed a national appeal calling for the convention to be preserved. The women's rights organization Centrs Marta has announced a protest for the coming week, charging lawmakers of disregarding the wishes of the nation's citizens.

Global Concerns and Possible Future Actions

The head of the Council of Europe's legislative body stated that the Baltic state had made a rash choice fueled by false information. He characterized it as an "never-before-seen and extremely worrying regression for women's rights and human rights in Europe".

He noted that since Turkey abandoned the convention four years ago, instances of gender-based killings and abuse targeting females had increased significantly.

Because the decision did not achieve a supermajority majority, the president could potentially send back the bill for additional consideration if he holds objections.

President Rinkevics stated on digital platforms that he would assess the decision according to legal principles, "taking into account governmental and judicial considerations, instead of ideological or political viewpoints".

Last week, another component of the governing alliance, the Progressives, indicated it would not rule out appealing to the Constitutional Court.

"This decision represents a concerning development for gender equality not only in Latvia but across Europe," commented a human rights advocate.

• Family violence statistics have been rising in multiple EU countries
• The European treaty requires particular legal protections for survivors of domestic abuse
• The nation's vote could affect comparable debates in additional member states