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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 safeguard women from violence, covering domestic abuse, following prolonged and heated debates in the parliament.

Thousands of protesters gathered in Riga this past week to oppose the decision. The final authority now rests with Head of State the nation's president, who must determine whether to approve or reject the legislation.

Referred to as the European treaty, the international accord only became active in Latvia last year, mandating governments to develop legal frameworks and support services to end all types of abuse.

Latvia has become the first EU country to initiate the process of exiting from the convention. The transcontinental nation withdrew in two years ago, a move that rights groups described as a significant regression for gender equality.

Political Controversy and Resistance

The international agreement was ratified by the EU in 2023, yet traditionalist factions have argued that its focus on gender equality undermines family values and promotes what they term "non-traditional gender concepts".

Following a thirteen-hour debate in the Saeima, MPs decided by a margin of 56-32 to exit from the treaty, a move sponsored by political opponents but supported by politicians from one of the three governing partners.

The result represents a setback for moderate conservative government leader the nation's PM, who stood with protesters outside the legislature earlier this week. "We refuse to give up, we will persist in our struggle so that abuse will not prevail," she declared to the assembly.

Ideological Divisions and Reactions

One of the main parties advocating for the withdrawal is a nationalist party, whose leader has called on the public to select from what he terms a "traditional family unit" and "non-binary concepts with various gender identities".

Latvia's ombudswoman the rights official appealed for the treaty not to be made political, while the group Equality Now asserted it was "not a threat to Latvian values, it served as a tool to achieve them".

The Thursday's decision has sparked broad outcry both inside the country and abroad.

22,000 people have endorsed a national petition demanding the convention to be preserved. The gender equality group the rights center has announced a demonstration for next Thursday, charging MPs of ignoring the wishes of the nation's citizens.

Global Concerns and Potential Next Steps

The leader of the Council of Europe's legislative body stated that the Baltic state had made a hasty decision fueled by false information. He described it as an "never-before-seen and extremely worrying step backward for women's rights and human rights in Europe".

He added that since Turkey abandoned the convention in 2021, instances of gender-based killings and violence against women had increased significantly.

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

President Rinkevics stated on digital platforms that he would assess the decision according to legal requirements, "taking into account governmental and judicial considerations, rather than belief-based perspectives".

Recently, another member of the ruling coalition, the Progressives, indicated it would not exclude petitioning to the supreme judicial body.

"This decision represents a worrisome situation for gender equality not only in Latvia but throughout the continent," stated a human rights advocate.

• Family violence statistics have been increasing in several EU countries
• The European treaty requires specific legal protections for victims of domestic abuse
• Latvia's decision could affect similar debates in additional EU countries