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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's parliament members have voted to pull out from an international accord created to protect women from abuse, covering family violence, following prolonged and heated discussions in the parliament.

Several thousand of protesters assembled in Riga this past week to oppose the vote. The ultimate decision now lies with Head of State the nation's president, who must determine whether to approve or reject the proposed law.

Known as the Istanbul Convention, the 2011 agreement only became active in the Baltic state last year, requiring authorities to develop laws and assistance programs to eliminate all types of abuse.

Latvia has become the initial European Union member to begin the procedure of withdrawing from the convention. Turkey pulled out in two years ago, a decision that rights groups described as a significant regression for women's rights.

Ideological Controversy and Resistance

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

Following a lengthy discussion in the Saeima, MPs voted by a margin of 56-32 to withdraw from the convention, a action sponsored by political opponents but supported by representatives from one of the three coalition parties.

The outcome represents a defeat for moderate conservative government leader the nation's PM, who stood with demonstrators outside parliament earlier this seven-day period. "We refuse to give up, we will continue fighting so that violence will not prevail," she declared to the assembly.

Ideological Divisions and Reactions

One of the main parties advocating for the withdrawal is a nationalist party, whose leader has called on citizens to choose between what he terms a "natural family" and "non-binary concepts with multiple sexes".

Latvia's human rights commissioner Karina Palkova urged the agreement not to be politicized, while the organization the rights organization stated it was "not a danger to Latvian values, it served as a tool to realize them".

The Thursday's decision has sparked broad protest both within the country 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 demonstration for the coming week, accusing lawmakers of ignoring the wishes of the nation's citizens.

International Worries and Possible Next Steps

The leader of the Council of Europe's legislative body commented that the Baltic state had made a hasty choice driven by misinformation. He characterized it as an "unprecedented and extremely worrying step backward for female equality and human rights in the continent".

He added that since the transcontinental nation left the convention four years ago, instances of femicide and abuse targeting females had risen sharply.

Because the vote did not secure a supermajority support, the head of state could possibly return the legislation for additional review if he has objections.

Head of State the national leader announced on social media that he would assess the decision according to legal requirements, "considering governmental and judicial factors, rather than ideological or political viewpoints".

Last week, another component of the ruling coalition, the reformist party, indicated it would not rule out appealing to the Constitutional Court.

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

• Family violence statistics have been increasing in several EU countries
• The European treaty mandates particular legal protections for victims of gender-based violence
• Latvia's vote could affect similar debates in additional EU countries