🔗 Share this article

Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

The Baltic nation's parliament members have decided to pull out from an international accord created to protect females from violence, covering domestic abuse, following prolonged and intense discussions in the parliament.

Several thousand of demonstrators gathered in the capital this past week to oppose the decision. The ultimate decision now rests with Head of State Edgars Rinkevics, who must decide whether to endorse or veto the legislation.

Referred to as the Istanbul Convention, the international accord only took effect in Latvia last year, mandating authorities to establish laws and support services to eliminate all types of violence.

The Baltic nation has become the first EU country to initiate the procedure of exiting from the convention. The transcontinental nation withdrew in 2021, a move that human rights organizations described as a significant setback for women's rights.

Ideological Controversy and Resistance

The treaty was ratified by the European Union in last year, yet traditionalist groups have contended that its emphasis on equal rights weakens traditional families and promotes what they term "gender ideology".

Following a lengthy debate in the Saeima, lawmakers voted by a margin of 56-32 to exit from the convention, a move proposed by opposition parties but supported by politicians from one of the three coalition parties.

The result represents a defeat for moderate conservative Prime Minister the nation's PM, who stood with demonstrators outside the legislature earlier this week. "We will not surrender, we will continue fighting so that violence does not triumph," she stated to the crowd.

Ideological Divisions and Responses

One of the main parties supporting the withdrawal is Latvia First, whose head has urged citizens to select from what he terms a "natural family" and "non-binary concepts with multiple sexes".

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

The recent decision has sparked broad outcry both inside the country and internationally.

Twenty-two thousand people have endorsed a Latvian appeal calling for the convention to be maintained. The women's rights organization Centrs Marta has called a protest for the coming week, accusing lawmakers of disregarding the will of the nation's citizens.

Global Worries and Possible Future Actions

The leader of the European organization's parliamentary assembly commented that the Baltic state had made a rash decision fueled by false information. He characterized it as an "unprecedented and extremely worrying step backward for women's rights and human rights in the continent".

He noted that since Turkey left the treaty in 2021, instances of femicide and abuse targeting females had risen sharply.

Because the vote did not achieve a two-thirds support, the head of state could possibly return the legislation for additional review if he holds concerns.

President the national leader announced on digital platforms that he would assess the decision according to legal requirements, "considering governmental and judicial factors, rather than ideological or political perspectives".

Recently, another member of the governing alliance, the Progressives, suggested it would not exclude appealing to the supreme judicial body.

"This vote represents a concerning situation for women's rights not only in Latvia but throughout the continent," commented a human rights activist.

• Domestic abuse rates have been increasing in several European countries
• The European treaty mandates particular legal protections for survivors of domestic abuse
• Latvia's decision could affect similar discussions in other EU countries