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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's lawmakers have decided to pull out from an global treaty created to safeguard females from violence, covering domestic abuse, following prolonged and heated debates in the parliament.

Thousands of protesters assembled in Riga this week to oppose the vote. The final authority now lies with President Edgars Rinkevics, who must decide whether to endorse or veto the legislation.

Referred to as the Istanbul Convention, the international accord only became active in Latvia last year, requiring authorities to develop laws and assistance programs to end all forms of abuse.

Latvia has become the initial EU country to begin the process of exiting from the treaty. Turkey withdrew in 2021, a move that rights groups described as a major regression for women's rights.

Ideological Debate and Resistance

The treaty was ratified by the EU in last year, yet traditionalist factions have contended that its emphasis on equal rights undermines traditional families and promotes what they term "non-traditional gender concepts".

Following a lengthy debate in the Latvian parliament, lawmakers decided 56 to 32 to withdraw from the convention, a action proposed by political opponents but backed by representatives from one of the three governing partners.

The result represents a defeat for centre-right government leader Evika Silina, who stood with protesters outside parliament earlier this week. "We refuse to give up, we will continue fighting so that abuse does not triumph," she stated to the assembly.

Political Divisions and Responses

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 "traditional family unit" and "gender ideology with multiple sexes".

The nation's ombudswoman Karina Palkova appealed for the agreement not to be politicized, while the group the rights organization asserted it was "not a danger to national principles, it was an instrument to realize them".

The Thursday's vote has provoked widespread outcry both within Latvia and abroad.

22,000 people have endorsed a national petition demanding the convention to be preserved. The women's rights organization Centrs Marta has called a protest for the coming week, accusing MPs of ignoring the will of the nation's citizens.

International Worries and Potential Future Actions

The leader of the Council of Europe's legislative body commented that the Baltic state had made a rash decision driven by false information. He described it as an "never-before-seen and deeply concerning regression for women's rights and human rights in Europe".

He noted that since the transcontinental nation abandoned the convention in 2021, cases of femicide and abuse targeting females had increased significantly.

Because the decision did not secure a two-thirds support, the head of state could potentially return the legislation for additional review if he has concerns.

Head of State Rinkevics stated on social media that he would assess the vote according to legal requirements, "considering state and legal factors, instead of ideological or political viewpoints".

Recently, another component of the ruling coalition, the reformist party, indicated it would not exclude appealing to the supreme judicial body.

"This decision represents a concerning situation for women's rights not only in Latvia but across the continent," stated a rights advocate.

• Family violence rates have been rising in multiple European countries
• The Istanbul Convention mandates specific legal protections for victims of domestic abuse
• The nation's decision could influence similar debates in other member states