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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's lawmakers have decided to withdraw from an global treaty created to protect women from violence, including family violence, following prolonged and heated debates in the parliament.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Riga this week to oppose the decision. The ultimate authority now lies with Head of State Edgars Rinkevics, who must decide whether to approve or reject the proposed law.

Referred to as the Istanbul Convention, the international accord only became active in the Baltic state last twelve months ago, mandating governments to develop laws and assistance programs to eliminate all types of violence.

Latvia has become the initial EU country to begin the process of withdrawing from the treaty. 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 international agreement was ratified by the EU in last year, yet traditionalist groups have argued that its emphasis on equal rights undermines traditional families and advances what they term "non-traditional gender concepts".

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

The result represents a defeat for centre-right Prime Minister Evika Silina, who stood with demonstrators outside parliament earlier this week. "We will not surrender, we will continue fighting so that violence does not triumph," she declared to the crowd.

Ideological Divisions and Reactions

One of the main parties advocating for the exit is Latvia First, whose leader has called on citizens to choose between what he terms a "traditional family unit" and "non-binary concepts with various gender identities".

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

The recent vote has provoked broad outcry both within the country and abroad.

Twenty-two thousand individuals have signed a Latvian petition calling for the treaty to be maintained. The gender equality group Centrs Marta has called a demonstration for next Thursday, charging lawmakers of ignoring the wishes of the nation's citizens.

Global Worries and Possible Next Steps

The leader of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly commented that Latvia had made a hasty decision driven by false information. He described it as an "unprecedented and deeply concerning regression for women's rights and fundamental freedoms in the continent".

He noted that since the transcontinental nation abandoned the treaty in 2021, instances of gender-based killings and abuse targeting females had risen sharply.

Because the decision did not secure a supermajority majority, the president could possibly return the legislation for additional review if he has concerns.

President Rinkevics announced on digital platforms that he would assess the vote according to constitutional requirements, "taking into account governmental and judicial factors, rather than belief-based viewpoints".

Last week, another member of the ruling coalition, the Progressives, suggested it would not exclude appealing to the Constitutional Court.

"This decision represents a concerning situation for gender equality not only in Latvia but across the continent," stated a human rights activist.

• Family violence rates have been rising in multiple European countries
• The Istanbul Convention mandates particular legal protections for survivors of gender-based violence
• Latvia's decision could influence similar debates in other EU countries