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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's lawmakers have decided to pull out from an international accord designed to protect women from violence, covering family violence, following extensive and heated debates in the legislature.

Thousands of protesters assembled in Riga this week to oppose the decision. The final decision now lies with Head of State the nation's president, who must decide whether to endorse or reject the legislation.

Referred to as the Istanbul Convention, the 2011 agreement only became active in Latvia last year, mandating governments to develop laws and assistance programs to eliminate all forms of abuse.

Latvia has become the first EU country to begin the process of exiting from the treaty. Turkey pulled out in 2021, a decision that human rights organizations described as a major setback for gender equality.

Ideological Controversy and Resistance

The international agreement was approved by the European Union in last year, yet traditionalist factions have argued that its focus on gender equality undermines traditional families and advances what they term "non-traditional gender concepts".

Following a thirteen-hour debate in the Latvian parliament, lawmakers voted by a margin of 56-32 to exit from the convention, a move proposed by opposition parties but backed by politicians from one of the three coalition parties.

The outcome represents a defeat for centre-right Prime Minister Evika Silina, who joined 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 Divisions and Reactions

One of the main parties supporting the exit is a nationalist party, whose head has urged the public to choose between what he terms a "natural family" and "gender ideology with multiple sexes".

Latvia's ombudswoman the rights official appealed for the agreement not to be politicized, 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 provoked widespread outcry both inside the country and abroad.

22,000 people have endorsed a Latvian petition demanding 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 Latvian people.

Global Concerns and Possible Next Steps

The head 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 "never-before-seen and deeply concerning regression for women's rights and fundamental freedoms in the continent".

He noted that since Turkey left the convention in 2021, cases of femicide and abuse targeting females had risen sharply.

Because the decision did not achieve a supermajority majority, the head of state could possibly return the legislation for further review if he has objections.

Head of State Rinkevics announced on social media that he would assess the decision according to constitutional requirements, "considering state and legal considerations, instead of belief-based viewpoints".

Last week, another component of the governing alliance, the Progressives, suggested it would not rule out appealing to the supreme judicial body.

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

• Family violence statistics have been rising in multiple EU nations
• The European treaty mandates particular legal protections for victims of gender-based violence
• The nation's decision could influence similar discussions in additional member states