🔗 Share this article

Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's parliament members have decided to withdraw from an global treaty created to protect women from violence, covering family violence, following prolonged and heated debates in the legislature.

Several thousand of protesters gathered in Riga this week to voice disagreement with the decision. The ultimate decision now rests with President Edgars Rinkevics, who must decide whether to endorse or reject the proposed law.

Known as the Istanbul Convention, the 2011 agreement only became active in Latvia last twelve months ago, mandating authorities to develop legal frameworks and assistance programs to eliminate all types of violence.

The Baltic nation has become the initial EU country to initiate the procedure of exiting from the convention. The transcontinental nation pulled out in 2021, a decision that rights groups described as a significant setback for women's rights.

Ideological Controversy and Opposition

The treaty was approved by the EU in last year, yet traditionalist factions have contended that its focus on equal rights weakens family values and advances what they term "non-traditional gender concepts".

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

The outcome represents a setback for centre-right Prime Minister the nation's PM, who stood with demonstrators outside parliament earlier this seven-day period. "We will not surrender, we will continue fighting so that abuse does not triumph," she declared to the assembly.

Ideological Disagreements and Reactions

One of the main parties advocating for the exit is Latvia First, whose head has urged citizens to select from what he terms a "natural family" and "gender ideology with various gender identities".

Latvia's ombudswoman Karina Palkova urged the treaty not to be made political, while the group Equality Now stated it was "not a danger to Latvian values, it served as a tool to achieve them".

The Thursday's vote has sparked widespread protest both inside the country and internationally.

22,000 individuals have signed a Latvian appeal calling for the convention to be preserved. The women's rights organization Centrs Marta has called a protest for next Thursday, accusing lawmakers of disregarding the will of the Latvian people.

Global Concerns and Potential Future Actions

The leader of the European organization's parliamentary assembly stated that the Baltic state had made a hasty decision driven by false information. He characterized it as an "unprecedented and deeply concerning regression for women's rights and fundamental freedoms in the continent".

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

Because the vote did not achieve a supermajority support, the head of state could potentially send back the legislation for additional consideration if he has concerns.

Head of State the national leader stated on digital platforms that he would assess the vote according to legal principles, "taking into account governmental and judicial considerations, instead of ideological or political viewpoints".

Last week, another component of the ruling coalition, the Progressives, indicated it would not rule out petitioning to the Constitutional Court.

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

• Domestic abuse statistics have been rising in several EU nations
• The European treaty mandates specific legal protections for survivors of gender-based violence
• Latvia's decision could affect similar debates in additional EU countries