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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's lawmakers have voted to withdraw from an international accord created to protect women from abuse, covering domestic abuse, following prolonged and heated debates in the parliament.

Thousands of protesters assembled in the capital this week to voice disagreement with the decision. The final decision now lies with Head of State the nation's president, who must determine whether to endorse or veto the proposed law.

Referred to as the Istanbul Convention, the international accord only became active in the Baltic state last year, mandating authorities to establish laws and support services to eliminate all types of violence.

Latvia has become the initial European Union member to begin the process of withdrawing from the convention. Turkey pulled out in 2021, a decision that human rights organizations characterized as a major regression for women's rights.

Ideological Controversy and Resistance

The treaty was approved by the EU in 2023, yet traditionalist groups have argued that its emphasis on equal rights undermines family values and promotes what they term "non-traditional gender concepts".

Following a thirteen-hour debate in the Latvian parliament, lawmakers decided 56 to 32 to exit from the convention, a action proposed by political opponents but supported by politicians from one of the three governing partners.

The result represents a setback for moderate conservative Prime Minister Evika Silina, who joined protesters outside the legislature earlier this week. "We refuse to give up, we will persist in our struggle so that violence does not triumph," she stated to the crowd.

Political Divisions and Reactions

One of the main parties supporting the withdrawal is Latvia First, whose leader has called on the public to choose between what he terms a "natural family" and "gender ideology with various gender identities".

Latvia's human rights commissioner Karina Palkova appealed for the agreement not to be politicized, while the organization Equality Now stated it was "not a danger to Latvian values, it was an instrument to achieve them".

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

22,000 individuals have signed a Latvian appeal demanding the treaty to be preserved. The women's rights organization Centrs Marta has called a demonstration for the coming week, charging lawmakers of disregarding the wishes of the Latvian people.

International Concerns and Possible Future Actions

The head of the Council of Europe's legislative body stated that the Baltic state had made a hasty choice driven by misinformation. He characterized it as an "never-before-seen and extremely worrying step backward for women's rights and human rights in the continent".

He noted that since the transcontinental nation abandoned the convention four years ago, instances of femicide and abuse targeting females had increased significantly.

Because the vote did not secure a supermajority support, the president could potentially send back the legislation for additional review if he holds objections.

President Rinkevics announced on social media that he would evaluate the vote according to constitutional requirements, "considering state and legal considerations, rather than belief-based perspectives".

Last week, another member of the ruling coalition, the reformist party, suggested it would not rule out petitioning to the supreme judicial body.

"This vote represents a worrisome development for gender equality not only in our nation but throughout the continent," commented a human rights activist.

• Domestic abuse statistics have been rising in multiple European countries
• The Istanbul Convention requires particular safeguards for victims of domestic abuse
• The nation's vote could affect similar debates in additional EU countries