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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

The Baltic nation's parliament members have voted to withdraw from an global treaty created to safeguard females from violence, including family violence, following prolonged and intense debates in the legislature.

Several thousand of protesters gathered in Riga this past week to voice disagreement with the vote. The final decision now rests with Head of State Edgars Rinkevics, who must decide whether to approve or reject the proposed law.

Known as the Istanbul Convention, the 2011 agreement only took effect in Latvia last year, mandating authorities to develop legal frameworks and assistance programs to end all types of abuse.

Latvia has become the first EU country to initiate the procedure of withdrawing from the convention. Turkey withdrew in 2021, a move that human rights organizations described as a significant regression for gender equality.

Political Debate and Resistance

The international agreement was approved by the European Union in 2023, yet traditionalist groups have contended that its emphasis on gender equality weakens traditional families and promotes what they term "non-traditional gender concepts".

Following a thirteen-hour debate in the Latvian parliament, MPs decided by a margin of 56-32 to withdraw from the treaty, a move sponsored by political opponents but backed by politicians from one of the three governing partners.

The result represents a setback for moderate conservative Prime Minister Evika Silina, who stood with protesters outside parliament earlier this week. "We refuse to give up, we will continue fighting so that violence will not prevail," she declared to the crowd.

Political Disagreements and Responses

One of the main parties supporting the exit is a nationalist party, whose leader has urged citizens to select from what he terms a "traditional family unit" and "non-binary concepts with multiple sexes".

The nation's human rights commissioner Karina Palkova appealed for the agreement not to be made political, while the group Equality Now asserted it was "not a threat to national principles, it was an instrument to realize them".

The recent decision has provoked widespread outcry both within the country and internationally.

Twenty-two thousand individuals have signed a national appeal calling for the treaty to be preserved. The women's rights organization Centrs Marta has announced a protest for the coming week, accusing lawmakers of disregarding the will of the Latvian people.

International Worries and Potential Next Steps

The leader of the Council of Europe's legislative body commented that Latvia had made a rash decision fueled by false information. He described it as an "unprecedented and deeply concerning step backward for women's rights and human rights in the continent".

He added that since Turkey abandoned the treaty in 2021, instances of femicide and violence against women had risen sharply.

Because the vote did not achieve a two-thirds support, the president could possibly send back the legislation for additional consideration if he holds concerns.

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

Recently, another member of the ruling coalition, the Progressives, suggested it would not exclude petitioning to the Constitutional Court.

"This decision represents a worrisome situation for gender equality not only in our nation but across Europe," stated a rights activist.

• Family violence statistics have been rising in multiple European countries
• The European treaty requires particular safeguards for survivors of gender-based violence
• Latvia's decision could affect similar debates in additional member states