Latvia's Parliament Members Vote to Withdraw From Treaty on Safeguarding Women from Abuse
Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week
Latvia's parliament members have voted to withdraw from an global treaty created to protect females from abuse, covering domestic abuse, following extensive and intense discussions in the legislature.
Several thousand of demonstrators assembled in the capital this past week to voice disagreement with the decision. The final authority now lies with President Edgars Rinkevics, who must determine whether to approve or reject the legislation.
Known as the European treaty, the 2011 agreement only became active in the Baltic state last year, mandating authorities to develop laws and support services to eliminate all forms of violence.
Latvia has become the first EU country to begin the procedure of exiting from the treaty. Turkey withdrew in two years ago, a decision that human rights organizations characterized as a significant regression for gender equality.
Political Controversy and Opposition
The international agreement was approved by the EU in last year, yet traditionalist groups have argued that its focus on gender equality weakens family values and advances what they term "non-traditional gender concepts".
Following a thirteen-hour discussion in the Latvian parliament, MPs decided by a margin of 56-32 to withdraw from the convention, a move proposed by political opponents but supported by politicians from one of the three governing partners.
The outcome represents a setback for centre-right Prime Minister the nation's PM, who joined protesters outside parliament earlier this week. "We will not surrender, we will persist in our struggle so that violence does not triumph," she stated to the assembly.
Ideological Disagreements and Responses
One of the main parties supporting the withdrawal is a nationalist party, whose head has urged citizens to select from what he terms a "natural family" and "gender ideology with multiple sexes".
The nation's human rights commissioner the rights official appealed for the treaty not to be made political, while the group Equality Now stated it was "not a threat to national principles, it was an instrument to achieve them".
The recent vote has sparked widespread outcry both within the country and abroad.
Twenty-two thousand people have signed a Latvian petition demanding the convention to be preserved. The women's rights organization the rights center has announced a demonstration for the coming week, charging MPs of ignoring the will of the nation's citizens.
International Worries and Possible Next Steps
The leader of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly commented that the Baltic state had made a rash decision fueled by misinformation. He described it as an "never-before-seen and deeply concerning regression for women's rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe".
He added that since the transcontinental nation left the treaty four years ago, instances of femicide and violence against women had risen sharply.
Because the vote did not secure a supermajority majority, the president could potentially send back the bill for further consideration if he holds concerns.
Head of State Rinkevics announced on social media that he would evaluate the vote according to constitutional requirements, "considering governmental and judicial considerations, rather than belief-based perspectives".
Recently, another member of the governing alliance, the reformist party, suggested it would not exclude appealing to the Constitutional Court.
"This decision represents a concerning situation for women's rights not only in our nation but throughout Europe," commented a rights advocate.
- Family violence rates have been rising in several EU countries
- The European treaty mandates specific legal protections for victims of domestic abuse
- The nation's decision could influence similar debates in other member states
