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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's parliament members have voted to pull out from an international accord created to protect women from abuse, including family violence, following prolonged and intense debates in the parliament.

Several thousand of demonstrators gathered in the capital this week to oppose the decision. The final authority now rests with Head of State Edgars Rinkevics, who must decide whether to approve or reject the legislation.

Known as the European treaty, the 2011 agreement only became active in Latvia last year, requiring authorities to establish laws and support services to eliminate all forms of abuse.

The Baltic nation has become the first EU country to begin the procedure of exiting from the treaty. The transcontinental nation pulled out in two years ago, a move that rights groups characterized as a significant regression for women's rights.

Political Debate and Resistance

The treaty was approved by the EU in 2023, yet conservative groups have argued that its emphasis on gender equality undermines traditional families and advances what they term "non-traditional gender concepts".

Following a thirteen-hour discussion in the Saeima, MPs voted 56 to 32 to exit from the convention, a action sponsored by political opponents but supported by politicians from one of the three governing partners.

The result represents a defeat for moderate conservative Prime Minister Evika Silina, who joined demonstrators outside parliament earlier this week. "We refuse to give up, we will continue fighting so that abuse does not triumph," she stated to the assembly.

Ideological Divisions and Responses

One of the primary political groups supporting the exit is a nationalist party, whose head has urged the public to select from what he terms a "traditional family unit" and "non-binary concepts with various gender identities".

Latvia's ombudswoman Karina Palkova urged the treaty not to be made political, while the organization Equality Now stated it was "not a danger to national principles, it was an instrument to realize them".

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

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

Global Worries and Potential Next Steps

The head of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly commented that Latvia had made a hasty decision fueled by misinformation. He described it as an "unprecedented and deeply concerning step backward for women's rights and human rights in Europe".

He added that since Turkey left the convention in 2021, cases of gender-based killings and abuse targeting females had increased significantly.

Because the decision did not secure a supermajority support, the head of state could potentially return the bill for further review if he holds objections.

President Rinkevics announced on social media that he would assess the decision according to legal principles, "considering state and legal factors, rather than belief-based viewpoints".

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

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

• Domestic abuse statistics have been rising in multiple EU countries
• The Istanbul Convention requires particular safeguards for victims of gender-based violence
• Latvia's vote could affect comparable debates in additional EU countries