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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's lawmakers have decided to withdraw from an international accord created to protect women from abuse, covering domestic abuse, following prolonged and heated discussions in the parliament.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in the capital this past week to voice disagreement with the decision. The final decision now lies with Head of State Edgars Rinkevics, who must decide whether to endorse or veto the proposed law.

Referred to as the European treaty, the international accord only became active in the Baltic state last twelve months ago, requiring authorities to develop legal frameworks and assistance programs to eliminate all types of abuse.

Latvia has become the first EU country to begin the procedure of exiting from the treaty. Turkey pulled out in 2021, a move that rights groups characterized as a major regression for women's rights.

Ideological Debate and Resistance

The treaty was ratified by the European Union in 2023, yet conservative factions have contended that its emphasis on equal rights weakens traditional families and advances what they term "gender ideology".

Following a lengthy debate in the Saeima, lawmakers decided 56 to 32 to exit from the convention, a move sponsored by opposition parties but backed by representatives from one of the three coalition parties.

The outcome represents a setback for centre-right Prime Minister the nation's PM, who stood with protesters outside parliament earlier this seven-day period. "We will not surrender, we will persist in our struggle so that violence will not prevail," she declared to the crowd.

Political Divisions and Responses

One of the main parties supporting the exit is a nationalist party, whose head has called on the public to choose between what he terms a "traditional family unit" and "non-binary concepts with multiple sexes".

The nation's ombudswoman the rights official appealed for the agreement not to be made political, while the organization Equality Now asserted it was "not a threat to national principles, it served as a tool to realize them".

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

Twenty-two thousand individuals have signed a Latvian petition calling for the convention to be maintained. The gender equality group the rights center has called a protest for next Thursday, accusing MPs of ignoring the will of the nation's citizens.

Global Worries and Potential Next Steps

The head of the European organization's parliamentary assembly commented that the Baltic state had made a hasty choice driven by misinformation. He characterized it as an "unprecedented and deeply concerning step backward for women's rights and human rights in Europe".

He added that since Turkey left the convention in 2021, cases of gender-based killings and abuse targeting females had increased significantly.

Because the decision did not achieve a two-thirds support, the president could potentially send back the legislation for further review if he holds concerns.

President Rinkevics stated on social media that he would evaluate the decision according to legal principles, "considering state and legal factors, rather than belief-based viewpoints".

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

"This vote represents a worrisome development for women's rights not only in Latvia but across the continent," commented a rights activist.

• Domestic abuse statistics have been rising in several European countries
• The European treaty requires specific safeguards for survivors of domestic abuse
• The nation's decision could influence similar discussions in other EU countries