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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

The Baltic nation's parliament members have voted to pull out from an international accord created to protect women from abuse, covering family violence, following extensive and intense debates in the parliament.

Several thousand of protesters assembled in the capital this past week to voice disagreement with the decision. The final authority now rests with Head of State the nation's president, who must decide whether to approve or veto the proposed law.

Known as the Istanbul Convention, the 2011 agreement only became active in Latvia last year, requiring authorities to develop laws and assistance programs to eliminate all types of abuse.

The Baltic nation has become the first European Union member to begin the process of withdrawing from the convention. The transcontinental nation pulled out in two years ago, a decision that rights groups characterized as a significant regression for gender equality.

Ideological Debate and Resistance

The treaty was approved by the EU in 2023, yet conservative groups have argued that its emphasis on equal rights weakens family values and advances what they term "gender ideology".

Following a lengthy discussion in the Latvian parliament, MPs voted 56 to 32 to exit from the treaty, a move proposed by opposition parties but supported by representatives from one of the three coalition parties.

The outcome represents a defeat for centre-right government leader the nation's PM, who joined protesters outside the legislature earlier this week. "We will not surrender, we will continue fighting so that violence does not triumph," she declared to the crowd.

Political Divisions and Responses

One of the main political groups advocating for the exit is a nationalist party, whose head has urged citizens to choose between what he terms a "traditional family unit" and "non-binary concepts with multiple sexes".

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

The recent decision has provoked widespread protest both within the country and internationally.

Twenty-two thousand people have endorsed a Latvian petition calling for the convention to be maintained. The gender equality group Centrs Marta has called a protest for the coming week, charging lawmakers of ignoring the will of the nation's citizens.

Global Concerns and Potential Future Actions

The leader of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly stated that the Baltic state had made a rash choice fueled by false information. He characterized it as an "never-before-seen and extremely worrying step backward for women's rights and fundamental freedoms in the continent".

He noted that since Turkey abandoned the treaty in 2021, cases of gender-based killings and violence against women had increased significantly.

Because the decision did not achieve a supermajority support, the president could potentially return the bill for further consideration if he holds concerns.

President Rinkevics stated on social media that he would evaluate the decision according to constitutional requirements, "taking into account state and legal factors, rather than ideological or political perspectives".

Last week, another member of the ruling coalition, the Progressives, suggested it would not rule out appealing to the Constitutional Court.

"This decision represents a concerning situation for women's rights not only in Latvia but across Europe," commented a human rights advocate.

• Domestic abuse rates have been increasing in several EU countries
• The European treaty mandates particular safeguards for survivors of domestic abuse
• The nation's decision could affect similar debates in other member states