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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's parliament members have decided to withdraw from an international accord created to protect women from abuse, including domestic abuse, following prolonged and heated discussions in the parliament.

Several thousand of protesters assembled in Riga this week to oppose the vote. The ultimate authority now lies with President the nation's president, who must determine whether to endorse or reject the proposed law.

Known as the European treaty, the international accord only took effect in Latvia last year, mandating governments to establish laws and assistance programs to eliminate all types of abuse.

Latvia has become the initial EU country to initiate the process of exiting from the convention. Turkey withdrew in 2021, a move that human rights organizations described as a significant setback for women's rights.

Political Controversy and Resistance

The treaty was approved by the EU in last year, yet traditionalist 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, lawmakers voted by a margin of 56-32 to exit from the convention, a action proposed by opposition parties but backed by politicians from one of the three coalition parties.

The result represents a setback for centre-right government leader Evika Silina, who stood with protesters outside parliament earlier this seven-day period. "We refuse to give up, we will persist in our struggle so that abuse does not triumph," she stated to the assembly.

Ideological Divisions and Reactions

One of the primary parties supporting the withdrawal is a nationalist party, 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 urged the treaty not to be politicized, while the group the rights organization stated it was "not a danger to Latvian values, it was an instrument to realize them".

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

Twenty-two thousand people have signed a national appeal calling for the convention to be preserved. The gender equality group the rights center has called a demonstration for next Thursday, accusing MPs of ignoring the will of the Latvian people.

Global Worries and Potential Next Steps

The head of the Council of Europe's legislative body stated that the Baltic state had made a hasty choice fueled by false information. He described it as an "never-before-seen and deeply concerning regression for female equality and human rights in Europe".

He noted that since Turkey abandoned the treaty four years ago, cases of gender-based killings and abuse targeting females had risen sharply.

Because the vote did not achieve a two-thirds support, the head of state could potentially return the bill for additional consideration if he has objections.

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

Recently, another member of the ruling coalition, the Progressives, indicated it would not rule out petitioning to the Constitutional Court.

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

• Family violence rates have been rising in multiple European nations
• The Istanbul Convention mandates particular safeguards for survivors of domestic abuse
• The nation's vote could affect similar discussions in other member states