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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's lawmakers have voted to pull out from an international accord designed to safeguard women from abuse, covering domestic abuse, following prolonged and intense debates in the legislature.

Several thousand of demonstrators gathered in the capital this week to oppose the vote. The ultimate decision now lies with President the nation's president, who must determine whether to approve or veto the legislation.

Referred to as the European treaty, the 2011 agreement only took effect in the Baltic state last twelve months ago, requiring authorities to establish legal frameworks and assistance programs to eliminate all types of violence.

The Baltic nation has become the first European Union member to begin the process of withdrawing from the convention. Turkey withdrew in 2021, a move that human rights organizations described as a significant regression for gender equality.

Political Debate and Opposition

The international agreement was ratified by the European Union in last year, yet conservative factions have contended that its emphasis on gender equality weakens traditional families and promotes what they term "non-traditional gender concepts".

Following a thirteen-hour debate in the Saeima, lawmakers voted 56 to 32 to withdraw from the convention, a action sponsored by opposition parties but backed by politicians from one of the three coalition parties.

The outcome represents a defeat for moderate conservative government leader Evika Silina, who joined protesters outside the legislature earlier this week. "We refuse to give up, we will continue fighting so that violence will not prevail," she declared to the assembly.

Ideological Divisions and Responses

One of the primary political groups supporting the exit is a nationalist party, whose leader has urged the public to choose between what he terms a "natural family" and "non-binary concepts with various gender identities".

Latvia's ombudswoman the rights official urged 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 achieve them".

The Thursday's decision has provoked broad outcry both within the country and abroad.

Twenty-two thousand individuals have signed a Latvian petition demanding the convention to be preserved. The women's rights organization the rights center has announced a protest for the coming week, accusing MPs of disregarding the wishes of the Latvian people.

Global Worries and Potential Next Steps

The head of the Council of Europe's legislative body commented that the Baltic state had made a hasty decision driven by misinformation. He described it as an "unprecedented and extremely worrying regression for women's rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe".

He added that since the transcontinental nation abandoned the convention in 2021, instances of gender-based killings and violence against women had risen sharply.

Because the vote did not secure a supermajority majority, the head of state could potentially send back the legislation for further review if he holds concerns.

Head of State Rinkevics stated on digital platforms that he would evaluate the vote according to legal principles, "considering state and legal factors, rather than belief-based viewpoints".

Recently, another component of the governing alliance, the Progressives, indicated it would not exclude appealing to the Constitutional Court.

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

• Domestic abuse statistics have been increasing in multiple EU countries
• The Istanbul Convention requires particular safeguards for survivors of domestic abuse
• Latvia's vote could influence similar discussions in other member states