Latvia's Lawmakers Vote to Withdraw From International Accord on Protecting Females from Abuse
Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week
The Baltic nation's lawmakers have voted to pull out from an international accord designed to protect women from abuse, including family violence, following extensive and heated debates in the parliament.
Several thousand of protesters gathered in Riga this past week to oppose the vote. The final decision now rests with Head of State Edgars Rinkevics, who must decide whether to endorse or veto the proposed law.
Referred to as the European treaty, the international accord only became active in the Baltic state last year, requiring governments to establish laws and assistance programs to eliminate all forms of abuse.
The Baltic nation has become the first EU country to begin the process of exiting from the treaty. The transcontinental nation withdrew in 2021, a decision that rights groups described as a major regression for women's rights.
Ideological Debate and Opposition
The international agreement was ratified by the EU in last year, yet traditionalist factions have contended that its focus on equal rights undermines traditional families and promotes what they term "non-traditional gender concepts".
Following a thirteen-hour discussion in the Saeima, lawmakers decided 56 to 32 to withdraw from the treaty, a action sponsored by political opponents but backed by politicians from one of the three governing partners.
The outcome represents a setback for centre-right Prime Minister the nation's PM, who stood with protesters outside parliament earlier this week. "We refuse to give up, we will continue fighting so that violence does not triumph," she declared to the assembly.
Ideological Disagreements and Reactions
One of the primary parties advocating for the withdrawal is Latvia First, whose head has called on citizens to select from what he terms a "natural family" and "non-binary concepts with multiple sexes".
Latvia's human rights commissioner the rights official urged the agreement not to be politicized, while the group Equality Now stated it was "not a danger to national principles, it served as a tool to realize them".
The recent vote has sparked broad protest both inside the country and abroad.
22,000 people have signed a Latvian petition calling for the convention to be preserved. The women's rights organization Centrs Marta has called a demonstration for the coming week, charging lawmakers of ignoring the wishes of the nation's citizens.
International Worries and Possible Future Actions
The head of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly commented that the Baltic state had made a rash choice driven by false information. He characterized it as an "unprecedented and extremely worrying step backward for female equality and human rights in the continent".
He noted that since the transcontinental nation left the treaty in 2021, instances of gender-based killings and abuse targeting females had increased significantly.
Because the vote did not achieve a two-thirds majority, the head of state could potentially send back the bill for additional consideration if he has concerns.
President Rinkevics announced on digital platforms that he would evaluate the decision according to constitutional principles, "considering governmental and judicial considerations, instead of ideological or political viewpoints".
Recently, another member of the governing alliance, the Progressives, suggested it would not exclude petitioning to the supreme judicial body.
"This decision represents a worrisome development for women's rights not only in our nation but across Europe," commented a rights activist.
- Family violence statistics have been increasing in several EU countries
- The European treaty requires particular legal protections for survivors of domestic abuse
- The nation's vote could affect similar discussions in other member states
