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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

The Baltic nation's lawmakers have decided to withdraw from an global treaty designed to safeguard women from abuse, covering domestic abuse, following extensive and heated debates in the legislature.

Thousands of demonstrators assembled in Riga this past week to voice disagreement with the decision. The final decision now lies with Head of State the nation's president, who must determine whether to approve or reject the proposed law.

Known as the Istanbul Convention, the 2011 agreement only became active in Latvia last twelve months ago, requiring governments to develop laws and support services to end all types of violence.

Latvia has become the first European Union member to initiate the process of exiting from the convention. The transcontinental nation withdrew in 2021, a move that rights groups described as a major regression for women's rights.

Ideological Controversy and Opposition

The international agreement was approved by the EU in 2023, yet traditionalist groups have argued that its emphasis on gender equality undermines family values and advances what they term "non-traditional gender concepts".

Following a thirteen-hour debate in the Saeima, MPs decided by a margin of 56-32 to withdraw from the treaty, a action sponsored by opposition parties but backed by representatives from one of the three governing partners.

The outcome represents a setback for moderate conservative government leader the nation's PM, who joined protesters outside parliament earlier this week. "We refuse to give up, we will continue fighting so that abuse will not prevail," she declared to the crowd.

Ideological Disagreements and Responses

One of the main parties advocating for the exit is a nationalist party, whose leader has called on citizens to choose between what he terms a "traditional family unit" and "gender ideology with multiple sexes".

The nation's human rights commissioner Karina Palkova appealed for the agreement not to be politicized, while the group Equality Now stated it was "not a threat to Latvian values, it served as a tool to realize them".

The Thursday's vote has provoked broad protest 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, accusing lawmakers of disregarding the wishes of the nation's citizens.

International Worries and Possible Next Steps

The head of the European organization's parliamentary assembly commented that the Baltic state had made a hasty decision fueled by false information. He characterized it as an "unprecedented and extremely worrying step backward for women's rights and human rights in the continent".

He noted that since the transcontinental nation abandoned the convention four years ago, cases of gender-based killings and violence against women had increased significantly.

Because the decision did not achieve a two-thirds support, the president could potentially send back the legislation for additional review if he has objections.

Head of State the national leader announced on digital platforms that he would assess the vote according to legal requirements, "considering state and legal factors, instead of ideological or political viewpoints".

Last week, another component of the governing alliance, the reformist party, indicated it would not rule out petitioning to the Constitutional Court.

"This vote represents a worrisome development for women's rights not only in Latvia but throughout the continent," stated a rights activist.

• Family violence statistics have been increasing in multiple EU nations
• The Istanbul Convention mandates particular safeguards for victims of gender-based violence
• Latvia's vote could influence comparable discussions in other member states