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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's parliament members have decided to pull out from an global treaty created to safeguard females from abuse, covering domestic abuse, following extensive and intense discussions in the legislature.

Several thousand of protesters gathered in the capital this past week to voice disagreement with the vote. The ultimate authority now rests with Head of State the nation's president, who must decide whether to endorse or veto the proposed law.

Referred to as the Istanbul Convention, the 2011 agreement only took effect in Latvia last twelve months ago, requiring governments to develop legal frameworks and support services to end all forms of violence.

Latvia has become the initial EU country to initiate the process of withdrawing from the treaty. The transcontinental nation pulled out in 2021, a decision that human rights organizations characterized as a significant regression for women's rights.

Ideological Controversy and Resistance

The treaty was approved by the EU in 2023, yet conservative factions have argued that its emphasis on equal rights undermines traditional families and promotes what they term "non-traditional gender concepts".

Following a thirteen-hour discussion in the Latvian parliament, MPs voted by a margin of 56-32 to withdraw from the convention, a move proposed by opposition parties but supported by representatives from one of the three governing partners.

The result represents a setback for moderate conservative government leader the nation's PM, who stood with demonstrators outside parliament earlier this week. "We refuse to give up, we will continue fighting so that violence does not triumph," she declared to the assembly.

Ideological Disagreements and Responses

One of the main political groups supporting the withdrawal is a nationalist party, whose head has urged citizens to choose between what he terms a "natural family" and "gender ideology with various gender identities".

Latvia's ombudswoman Karina Palkova urged the treaty not to be politicized, while the organization Equality Now asserted it was "not a danger to national principles, it served as a tool to achieve them".

The Thursday's vote has sparked broad outcry both inside Latvia and internationally.

22,000 people have signed a Latvian petition demanding the convention to be preserved. The women's rights organization Centrs Marta has announced a demonstration for next Thursday, accusing lawmakers of disregarding the wishes of the nation's citizens.

Global Concerns and Possible Future Actions

The leader of the European organization's parliamentary assembly stated that the Baltic state had made a hasty decision driven by misinformation. He described it as an "unprecedented and extremely worrying step backward for female equality and fundamental freedoms in Europe".

He noted that since Turkey left the treaty four years ago, cases of femicide and violence against women had risen sharply.

Because the vote did not secure a supermajority support, the head of state could possibly return the legislation for additional review if he holds objections.

President Rinkevics announced on digital platforms that he would assess the decision according to constitutional principles, "considering state and legal considerations, rather than belief-based perspectives".

Last week, another component of the ruling coalition, the Progressives, indicated it would not exclude appealing to the supreme judicial body.

"This decision represents a concerning situation for gender equality not only in our nation but throughout Europe," commented a rights activist.

• Family violence rates have been rising in several EU countries
• The European treaty requires particular legal protections for victims of domestic abuse
• Latvia's decision could influence comparable discussions in additional EU countries