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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's lawmakers have voted to withdraw from an international accord created to safeguard women from abuse, covering family violence, following extensive and intense discussions in the legislature.

Several thousand of protesters assembled in the capital this week to oppose the vote. The final decision now lies with President Edgars Rinkevics, who must decide whether to approve or reject the legislation.

Referred to as the European treaty, the 2011 agreement only became active in Latvia last twelve months ago, requiring authorities to establish legal frameworks and support services to eliminate all types of abuse.

Latvia has become the initial European Union member to initiate the process of withdrawing from the treaty. The transcontinental nation pulled out in two years ago, a move that human rights organizations characterized as a significant setback 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 gender equality undermines traditional families and promotes what they term "gender ideology".

Following a lengthy debate in the Saeima, lawmakers voted by a margin of 56-32 to exit from the treaty, a move proposed by opposition parties but backed by politicians from one of the three governing partners.

The result represents a defeat for moderate conservative government leader Evika Silina, who stood with protesters outside the legislature earlier this week. "We will not surrender, we will persist in our struggle so that violence does not triumph," she stated to the crowd.

Political Divisions and Responses

One of the primary parties advocating for the withdrawal is a nationalist party, whose head has urged the public to choose between 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 asserted it was "not a threat to national principles, it was an instrument to realize them".

The Thursday's decision has provoked widespread protest both within Latvia and abroad.

Twenty-two thousand people have endorsed a Latvian petition demanding the treaty to be maintained. The gender equality group Centrs Marta has announced a protest for next Thursday, accusing MPs of disregarding the will of the nation's citizens.

International Concerns and Possible Future Actions

The head of the European organization's legislative body stated that Latvia had made a rash decision driven by misinformation. He characterized it as an "never-before-seen and deeply concerning step backward for female equality and human rights in Europe".

He added that since the transcontinental nation abandoned the treaty in 2021, cases of gender-based killings and violence against women had increased significantly.

Because the vote did not achieve a two-thirds support, the president could possibly return the legislation for further review if he has concerns.

President Rinkevics announced on digital platforms that he would assess the vote according to constitutional requirements, "considering governmental and judicial factors, rather than belief-based viewpoints".

Recently, another member of the ruling coalition, the Progressives, suggested it would not exclude appealing to the Constitutional Court.

"This vote represents a worrisome development for gender equality not only in our nation but across the continent," commented a human rights advocate.

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