Latvia's Lawmakers Decide to Withdraw From Treaty on Protecting Females from Abuse
Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week
The Baltic nation's parliament members have decided to pull out from an global treaty designed to protect women from violence, including domestic abuse, following extensive and heated discussions in the parliament.
Several thousand of demonstrators gathered in the capital this week to voice disagreement with the vote. The final decision now rests with President Edgars Rinkevics, who must decide whether to endorse or veto the proposed law.
Known as the European treaty, the international accord only took effect in Latvia last twelve months ago, mandating authorities to establish laws and support services to eliminate all types of violence.
Latvia has become the initial EU country to begin the procedure of withdrawing from the convention. The transcontinental nation withdrew in two years ago, a move that rights groups characterized as a major setback for women's rights.
Political Controversy and Opposition
The international agreement was ratified by the EU in 2023, yet conservative factions have argued that its focus on equal rights undermines family values and advances what they term "non-traditional gender concepts".
Following a thirteen-hour discussion in the Saeima, MPs voted 56 to 32 to exit from the treaty, a action sponsored by political opponents but backed by politicians from one of the three governing partners.
The outcome represents a setback for centre-right government leader the nation's PM, who joined demonstrators outside the legislature earlier this seven-day period. "We will not surrender, we will persist in our struggle so that abuse will not prevail," she declared to the assembly.
Political Divisions and Reactions
One of the main parties supporting the withdrawal is Latvia First, whose leader has called on citizens to select from what he terms a "traditional family unit" and "gender ideology with various gender identities".
The nation's ombudswoman the rights official urged the treaty not to be politicized, while the group the rights organization asserted it was "not a danger to Latvian values, it served as a tool to achieve them".
The Thursday's decision has provoked widespread outcry both inside the country and abroad.
Twenty-two thousand people have signed a national appeal demanding the convention to be preserved. The women's rights organization Centrs Marta has called a protest for the coming week, accusing MPs of ignoring the wishes of the Latvian people.
International Concerns and Possible Future Actions
The head of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly stated that Latvia had made a rash decision fueled by misinformation. He described it as an "unprecedented and deeply concerning step backward for female equality and human rights in Europe".
He added that since Turkey abandoned the convention in 2021, cases of gender-based killings and violence against women had risen sharply.
Because the decision did not secure a supermajority support, the president could potentially return the legislation for additional consideration if he holds objections.
President Rinkevics stated on digital platforms that he would assess the decision according to constitutional requirements, "taking into account state and legal factors, instead of belief-based perspectives".
Last week, another component of the governing alliance, the Progressives, suggested it would not exclude appealing to the Constitutional Court.
"This vote represents a concerning development for women's rights not only in our nation but throughout Europe," stated a human rights activist.
- Domestic abuse statistics have been rising in several EU countries
- The Istanbul Convention mandates specific safeguards for victims of domestic abuse
- Latvia's vote could influence comparable discussions in other EU countries
