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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

The Baltic nation's lawmakers have voted to pull out from an international accord created to protect women from violence, including domestic abuse, following prolonged and heated debates in the legislature.

Thousands of protesters gathered in Riga this week to voice disagreement with the vote. The final authority now lies with Head of State the nation's president, who must determine whether to approve or reject the proposed law.

Referred to as the European treaty, the 2011 agreement only took effect in the Baltic state last twelve months ago, mandating authorities to develop legal frameworks and assistance programs to eliminate all forms of abuse.

Latvia has become the initial European Union member to initiate the procedure of exiting from the treaty. The transcontinental nation withdrew in 2021, a decision that human rights organizations characterized as a significant regression for women's rights.

Political Controversy and Opposition

The international agreement was approved by the European Union in 2023, yet conservative factions have contended that its emphasis on gender equality weakens traditional families and promotes what they term "gender ideology".

Following a thirteen-hour discussion in the Latvian parliament, MPs voted 56 to 32 to withdraw from the convention, a action sponsored by political opponents but supported by representatives from one of the three governing partners.

The result represents a defeat for moderate conservative government leader Evika Silina, who joined protesters outside parliament earlier this week. "We will not surrender, we will continue fighting so that violence does not triumph," she stated to the assembly.

Political Divisions and Reactions

One of the main parties advocating for the withdrawal is Latvia First, whose head has called on citizens to choose between 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 politicized, while the group Equality Now asserted it was "not a danger to Latvian values, it served as a tool to realize them".

The Thursday's vote has sparked broad protest both inside Latvia and internationally.

22,000 people have signed a Latvian petition calling for the treaty to be preserved. The women's rights organization the rights center has called a protest for the coming week, accusing lawmakers of ignoring the wishes of the Latvian people.

Global Concerns and Possible Future Actions

The leader of the Council of Europe's legislative body stated that Latvia had made a rash choice driven by false information. He described it as an "unprecedented and extremely worrying step backward for women's rights and human rights in Europe".

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

Because the decision did not secure a two-thirds support, the head of state could possibly return the bill for additional consideration if he holds concerns.

Head of State the national leader announced on social media that he would assess the vote according to legal requirements, "taking into account governmental and judicial factors, rather than belief-based perspectives".

Last week, another member of the governing alliance, the Progressives, suggested it would not exclude petitioning to the supreme judicial body.

"This vote represents a worrisome situation for women's rights not only in Latvia but throughout Europe," stated a rights activist.

• Domestic abuse rates have been increasing in several European nations
• The European treaty requires specific legal protections for survivors of gender-based violence
• The nation's vote could influence similar discussions in other EU countries