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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

The Baltic nation's parliament members have decided to pull out from an international accord designed to protect women from violence, including family violence, following prolonged and heated debates in the legislature.

Thousands of protesters gathered in Riga this past week to voice disagreement with the decision. The ultimate decision now rests with President Edgars Rinkevics, who must determine 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 develop laws and assistance programs to eliminate all forms of violence.

The Baltic nation has become the first EU country to initiate the procedure of withdrawing from the convention. Turkey pulled out in two years ago, a move that rights groups characterized as a significant setback for gender equality.

Political Debate and Resistance

The international agreement was ratified by the EU in 2023, yet conservative factions have contended that its focus on gender equality weakens family values and advances what they term "gender ideology".

Following a lengthy debate in the Latvian parliament, lawmakers voted 56 to 32 to exit from the treaty, a action sponsored by opposition parties but supported by politicians from one of the three coalition parties.

The result represents a defeat 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 does not triumph," she stated to the assembly.

Political Disagreements and Responses

One of the primary parties advocating for the withdrawal is Latvia First, whose leader has urged citizens to choose between what he terms a "traditional family unit" and "non-binary concepts with multiple sexes".

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

The recent decision has provoked broad protest both inside Latvia and internationally.

22,000 individuals have signed a national appeal demanding the convention to be maintained. The women's rights organization Centrs Marta has announced a protest for the coming week, charging MPs of disregarding the will of the nation's citizens.

Global Worries and Potential Next Steps

The leader of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly stated that Latvia had made a rash choice fueled by false information. He described it as an "unprecedented and extremely worrying regression for women's rights and fundamental freedoms in the continent".

He noted that since the transcontinental nation abandoned the convention in 2021, cases of femicide and violence against women had risen sharply.

Because the decision did not secure a supermajority majority, the head of state could possibly send back the bill for further review if he has concerns.

Head of State the national leader stated on social media that he would assess the decision according to legal principles, "taking into account state and legal considerations, rather than belief-based viewpoints".

Last week, another component of the governing alliance, the reformist party, suggested it would not exclude petitioning to the Constitutional Court.

"This vote represents a worrisome situation for women's rights not only in our nation but throughout the continent," commented a rights activist.

• Domestic abuse statistics have been rising in several European countries
• The European treaty requires particular legal protections for survivors of gender-based violence
• The nation's decision could influence comparable debates in other member states