🔗 Share this article

Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's parliament members have decided to withdraw from an international accord created to safeguard women from violence, including family violence, following prolonged and intense debates in the legislature.

Thousands of protesters assembled in the capital this week to voice disagreement with the vote. The final authority now lies with Head of State the nation's president, who must determine whether to approve or veto the proposed law.

Referred to as the European treaty, the international accord only took effect in Latvia last year, mandating authorities to develop laws and assistance programs to end all forms of violence.

Latvia has become the first EU country to begin the procedure of withdrawing from the convention. The transcontinental nation withdrew in two years ago, a decision that human rights organizations described as a significant setback for women's rights.

Political Controversy and Resistance

The international agreement was ratified by the European Union in 2023, yet traditionalist factions have contended that its focus on gender equality weakens family values and promotes what they term "gender ideology".

Following a thirteen-hour discussion in the Latvian parliament, lawmakers voted 56 to 32 to exit from the convention, a action sponsored by opposition parties but supported by politicians from one of the three governing partners.

The result represents a defeat for centre-right Prime Minister the nation's PM, who joined protesters outside the legislature earlier this week. "We will not surrender, we will persist in our struggle so that abuse will not prevail," she stated to the assembly.

Political Divisions and Responses

One of the primary parties supporting the exit is Latvia First, whose leader has urged citizens to select from what he terms a "traditional family unit" and "gender ideology with various gender identities".

The nation's human rights commissioner Karina Palkova appealed for the treaty not to be made political, while the group the rights organization asserted it was "not a threat to national principles, it served as a tool to realize them".

The Thursday's vote has provoked broad protest both within the country and internationally.

Twenty-two thousand individuals have endorsed a Latvian petition calling for the convention to be preserved. The women's rights organization Centrs Marta has called a demonstration for the coming week, charging lawmakers of ignoring the will of the nation's citizens.

Global Worries and Possible Future Actions

The leader of the Council of Europe's legislative body stated that the Baltic state had made a hasty choice fueled by false information. He characterized it as an "never-before-seen and extremely worrying step backward for female equality and human rights in Europe".

He noted that since the transcontinental nation abandoned the convention in 2021, cases of gender-based killings and violence against women had increased significantly.

Because the decision did not secure a two-thirds majority, the head of state could potentially send back the bill for additional consideration if he holds objections.

Head of State Rinkevics stated on social media that he would evaluate the decision according to legal requirements, "considering governmental and judicial considerations, rather than belief-based perspectives".

Last week, another component of the ruling coalition, the reformist party, suggested it would not rule out petitioning to the supreme judicial body.

"This decision represents a concerning situation for women's rights not only in our nation but across the continent," commented a rights advocate.

• Domestic abuse rates have been increasing in several EU countries
• The Istanbul Convention requires specific legal protections for victims of domestic abuse
• Latvia's vote could influence comparable debates in additional EU countries