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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's lawmakers have voted to withdraw from an global treaty designed to protect women from violence, covering family violence, following extensive and heated discussions in the legislature.

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

Referred to as the Istanbul Convention, the 2011 agreement only became active in Latvia last year, requiring governments to develop legal frameworks and support services to eliminate all types of violence.

Latvia has become the initial European Union member to begin the process of withdrawing from the convention. Turkey pulled out in two years ago, a decision that rights groups described as a major regression for women's rights.

Political Debate and Opposition

The treaty was ratified by the European Union in 2023, yet conservative groups have argued that its focus on equal rights weakens family values and advances what they term "non-traditional gender concepts".

Following a thirteen-hour discussion in the Saeima, MPs decided by a margin of 56-32 to exit from the convention, a move sponsored by opposition parties but supported by politicians from one of the three governing partners.

The outcome represents a defeat for centre-right government leader Evika Silina, who stood with protesters outside parliament earlier this seven-day period. "We will not surrender, we will persist in our struggle so that abuse will not prevail," she stated to the crowd.

Political Disagreements and Responses

One of the main political groups advocating for the withdrawal is a nationalist party, whose leader has urged citizens to select from what he terms a "traditional family unit" and "gender ideology with various gender identities".

Latvia's human rights commissioner the rights official urged the treaty not to be made political, while the organization Equality Now stated it was "not a danger to Latvian values, it was an instrument to realize them".

The recent decision has sparked widespread protest both inside the country and abroad.

Twenty-two thousand people have endorsed a national petition demanding the convention to be maintained. The women's rights organization the rights center has announced a demonstration for the coming week, charging MPs of ignoring the will of the nation's citizens.

Global Worries and Potential Future Actions

The leader of the Council of Europe's legislative body stated that Latvia had made a hasty 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 Turkey left the convention in 2021, instances of gender-based killings and abuse targeting females had risen sharply.

Because the vote did not secure a two-thirds majority, the head of state could potentially return the legislation for additional consideration if he has objections.

President Rinkevics announced on social media that he would assess the vote according to constitutional principles, "taking into account state and legal considerations, instead of ideological or political perspectives".

Recently, another member of the ruling coalition, the Progressives, indicated it would not exclude appealing to the supreme judicial body.

"This vote represents a concerning situation for women's rights not only in our nation but throughout Europe," stated a human rights advocate.

• Domestic abuse rates have been rising in several European countries
• The European treaty requires specific legal protections for survivors of domestic abuse
• The nation's vote could affect similar debates in additional member states