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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's parliament members have decided to pull out from an international accord designed to safeguard females from abuse, covering domestic abuse, following prolonged and heated debates in the legislature.

Thousands of protesters assembled in the capital this past week to oppose the decision. The ultimate authority now rests with President Edgars Rinkevics, who must decide whether to endorse or veto the legislation.

Referred to as the European treaty, the 2011 agreement only took effect in Latvia last year, mandating authorities to establish legal frameworks and support services to end all forms of violence.

Latvia has become the initial EU country to begin the procedure of exiting from the treaty. The transcontinental nation withdrew in 2021, a decision that rights groups described as a major regression for gender equality.

Ideological Debate and Resistance

The international agreement was approved by the European Union in 2023, yet traditionalist groups have argued that its focus on gender equality undermines family values and advances what they term "gender ideology".

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

The result represents a setback for moderate conservative Prime Minister Evika Silina, who stood with protesters outside parliament earlier this week. "We will not surrender, we will persist in our struggle so that violence will not prevail," she declared to the crowd.

Ideological Disagreements and Reactions

One of the main parties supporting the exit is Latvia First, whose leader has urged citizens to select from what he terms a "natural family" and "non-binary concepts with various gender identities".

The nation's ombudswoman Karina Palkova appealed for the agreement not to be made political, while the group the rights organization stated it was "not a threat to national principles, it served as a tool to achieve them".

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

22,000 people have signed a Latvian petition calling for the treaty to be maintained. The women's rights organization the rights center has announced a demonstration for the coming week, charging lawmakers of disregarding the wishes of the Latvian people.

International Worries and Potential Future Actions

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

He added that since Turkey abandoned the treaty in 2021, cases of femicide and violence against women had risen sharply.

Because the decision did not achieve a two-thirds majority, the president could potentially return the legislation for further review if he holds concerns.

President Rinkevics announced on digital platforms that he would assess the decision according to legal requirements, "taking into account state and legal considerations, instead of belief-based perspectives".

Last week, another component of the governing alliance, the Progressives, suggested it would not exclude petitioning to the Constitutional Court.

"This decision represents a worrisome development for women's rights not only in Latvia but throughout Europe," commented a rights activist.

• Domestic abuse statistics have been increasing in several European nations
• The European treaty requires specific legal protections for survivors of domestic abuse
• Latvia's decision could affect similar discussions in other EU countries