🔗 Share this article

Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's lawmakers have decided to withdraw from an global treaty created to safeguard women from violence, including domestic abuse, following extensive and intense discussions in the parliament.

Thousands of protesters gathered in the capital this week to oppose the vote. The final decision now lies with Head of State Edgars Rinkevics, who must decide whether to approve or veto the proposed law.

Known as the Istanbul Convention, the 2011 agreement only took effect in Latvia last twelve months ago, mandating governments to establish laws and assistance programs to end all types of abuse.

The Baltic nation has become the first European Union member to begin the process of exiting from the convention. Turkey pulled out in two years ago, a decision that rights groups described as a major setback for gender equality.

Ideological Controversy and Resistance

The international agreement was ratified by the EU in 2023, yet conservative factions have contended that its focus on equal rights undermines traditional families and promotes what they term "gender ideology".

Following a lengthy discussion in the Latvian parliament, lawmakers decided by a margin of 56-32 to withdraw from the treaty, a action proposed by opposition parties but backed by politicians from one of the three coalition parties.

The outcome represents a defeat for moderate conservative government leader the nation's PM, who joined protesters outside parliament earlier this seven-day period. "We will not surrender, we will continue fighting so that abuse will not prevail," she declared to the crowd.

Political Divisions and Responses

One of the primary political groups advocating for the withdrawal is Latvia First, whose leader has urged the public to select from what he terms a "natural family" and "non-binary concepts with multiple sexes".

The nation's human rights commissioner the rights official appealed for the treaty not to be made political, while the group Equality Now asserted it was "not a danger to Latvian values, it was an instrument to realize them".

The recent vote has provoked widespread outcry both within Latvia and abroad.

Twenty-two thousand individuals have endorsed a Latvian appeal calling for the convention to be preserved. The women's rights organization the rights center has called a demonstration for the coming week, charging MPs of ignoring the wishes of the nation's citizens.

Global Worries and Possible Next Steps

The head of the European organization's legislative body commented that the Baltic state had made a rash choice driven by misinformation. He described it as an "unprecedented and deeply concerning regression for female equality and fundamental freedoms in the continent".

He noted that since the transcontinental nation abandoned the treaty in 2021, cases of femicide and abuse targeting females had increased significantly.

Because the vote did not achieve a two-thirds support, the president could potentially return the bill for further review if he holds concerns.

Head of State Rinkevics stated on digital platforms that he would evaluate the vote according to legal requirements, "taking into account governmental and judicial considerations, instead of belief-based 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 worrisome situation for women's rights not only in our nation but across Europe," commented a human rights advocate.

• Domestic abuse statistics have been rising in several EU nations
• The European treaty requires specific safeguards for victims of gender-based violence
• The nation's decision could influence comparable debates in other EU countries