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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

The Baltic nation's lawmakers have voted to withdraw from an global treaty designed to protect women from violence, including family violence, following prolonged and intense discussions in the parliament.

Thousands of protesters assembled in Riga this week to voice disagreement with the decision. The ultimate decision now lies with President Edgars Rinkevics, who must decide whether to endorse or reject the legislation.

Known as the Istanbul Convention, the 2011 agreement only took effect in Latvia last twelve months ago, mandating governments to establish legal frameworks and assistance programs to end all types of abuse.

The Baltic nation has become the initial EU country to initiate the procedure of withdrawing from the convention. Turkey withdrew in 2021, a decision that human rights organizations described as a major setback for gender equality.

Political Controversy and Opposition

The international agreement was approved by the EU in last year, yet traditionalist groups have contended that its emphasis on gender equality weakens family values and promotes what they term "gender ideology".

Following a thirteen-hour discussion in the Latvian parliament, lawmakers voted by a margin of 56-32 to exit from the treaty, a move sponsored by political opponents but backed by politicians from one of the three governing partners.

The outcome represents a setback for centre-right Prime Minister 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 declared to the assembly.

Ideological Disagreements and Responses

One of the primary political groups advocating for the exit is a nationalist party, whose head has called on the public to select from what he terms a "natural family" and "gender ideology with various gender identities".

The nation's human rights commissioner Karina Palkova urged the treaty not to be made political, while the group the rights organization asserted it was "not a threat to Latvian values, it was an instrument to realize them".

The recent decision has provoked broad outcry both inside the country and abroad.

Twenty-two thousand individuals have signed a Latvian appeal calling for the treaty to be maintained. The gender equality group the rights center has called a demonstration for the coming week, charging MPs of disregarding the will of the nation's citizens.

Global Worries and Possible Next Steps

The head of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly stated that the Baltic state had made a rash decision fueled by false information. He described it as an "unprecedented and extremely worrying regression for female equality and fundamental freedoms in the continent".

He added that since Turkey left the treaty in 2021, instances of gender-based killings and violence against women had increased significantly.

Because the vote did not secure a supermajority support, the president could potentially send back the bill for additional review if he holds concerns.

President the national leader announced on social media that he would evaluate the vote according to constitutional requirements, "considering state and legal factors, rather than ideological or political perspectives".

Recently, another member of the governing alliance, the Progressives, suggested it would not rule out petitioning to the supreme judicial body.

"This vote represents a concerning situation for gender equality not only in Latvia but throughout the continent," commented a human rights activist.

• Family violence statistics have been rising in multiple European countries
• The Istanbul Convention requires specific legal protections for survivors of domestic abuse
• Latvia's decision could influence similar debates in additional member states