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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

The Baltic nation's parliament members have voted to withdraw from an international accord designed to protect women from violence, including family violence, following extensive and heated debates in the parliament.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Riga this week to oppose the vote. The final decision now rests with President Edgars Rinkevics, who must decide whether to approve or reject the legislation.

Referred to as the European treaty, the 2011 agreement only became active in the Baltic state last twelve months ago, requiring governments to develop legal frameworks and support services to end all types of violence.

The Baltic nation has become the first European Union member to begin the process of withdrawing from the treaty. Turkey pulled out in 2021, a move that human rights organizations described as a significant regression for women's rights.

Political Debate and Opposition

The international agreement was approved by the EU in 2023, yet traditionalist groups have contended that its focus on gender equality undermines family values and promotes what they term "gender ideology".

Following a lengthy discussion in the Latvian parliament, lawmakers voted by a margin of 56-32 to withdraw from the treaty, a move sponsored by political opponents 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 abuse does not triumph," she declared to the crowd.

Ideological Disagreements and Reactions

One of the main political groups advocating for the exit is a nationalist party, whose head has urged the public to choose between what he terms a "traditional family unit" and "gender ideology with multiple sexes".

Latvia's human rights commissioner the rights official urged the treaty not to be made political, while the group the rights organization asserted it was "not a danger to national principles, it served as a tool to realize them".

The recent decision has sparked broad protest both within Latvia and abroad.

Twenty-two thousand individuals have endorsed a national appeal calling for the convention to be maintained. The women's rights organization Centrs Marta has announced a demonstration for next Thursday, accusing MPs of ignoring the wishes of the Latvian people.

International Concerns and Potential Next Steps

The leader of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly commented that the Baltic state had made a rash choice driven by misinformation. He characterized it as an "never-before-seen and extremely worrying step backward for women's rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe".

He added that since Turkey left the treaty in 2021, cases of femicide and violence against women had increased significantly.

Because the vote did not achieve a supermajority support, the head of state could possibly send back the legislation for further consideration if he has concerns.

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

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

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

• Family violence rates have been increasing in several EU nations
• The Istanbul Convention requires specific safeguards for victims of domestic abuse
• Latvia's decision could affect similar debates in additional EU countries