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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's lawmakers have voted to pull out from an international accord designed to safeguard women from abuse, including family violence, following extensive and heated debates in the legislature.

Thousands of protesters assembled in Riga this week to voice disagreement with the decision. The ultimate authority now lies with President Edgars Rinkevics, who must decide whether to approve or veto the legislation.

Known as the Istanbul Convention, the 2011 agreement only took effect in the Baltic state last year, requiring governments to develop laws and support services to eliminate all forms of violence.

The Baltic nation has become the first European Union member to initiate the procedure of exiting from the treaty. Turkey withdrew in two years ago, a move that rights groups characterized as a major regression for gender equality.

Ideological Debate and Opposition

The treaty was approved by the EU in last year, yet traditionalist groups have argued that its emphasis on gender equality weakens family values and promotes what they term "gender ideology".

Following a thirteen-hour discussion in the Latvian parliament, MPs voted 56 to 32 to exit from the treaty, a action sponsored by political opponents but supported by representatives from one of the three coalition parties.

The result represents a setback for centre-right government leader the nation's PM, who joined protesters outside parliament earlier this week. "We refuse to give up, we will continue fighting so that violence will not prevail," she declared to the assembly.

Political Divisions and Reactions

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

Latvia's human rights commissioner Karina Palkova appealed for the treaty not to be politicized, while the group the rights organization asserted it was "not a threat to Latvian values, it served as a tool to realize them".

The Thursday's decision has provoked widespread outcry both inside Latvia and abroad.

22,000 people have endorsed a Latvian appeal demanding the treaty to be maintained. The women's rights organization Centrs Marta has announced a protest for next Thursday, charging lawmakers of disregarding the wishes of the Latvian people.

International Worries and Possible Future Actions

The head of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly commented that Latvia had made a hasty decision driven by misinformation. He described it as an "unprecedented and deeply concerning regression for women's rights and human rights in the continent".

He added that since the transcontinental nation abandoned the convention four years ago, cases of gender-based killings and violence against women had risen sharply.

Because the vote did not secure a two-thirds majority, the president could possibly send back the legislation for additional review if he has objections.

President the national leader announced on social media that he would evaluate the vote according to legal principles, "considering governmental and judicial factors, instead of belief-based perspectives".

Last week, another member of the governing alliance, the reformist party, suggested it would not exclude petitioning to the Constitutional Court.

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

• Family violence rates have been rising in multiple European nations
• The Istanbul Convention requires particular safeguards for survivors of gender-based violence
• Latvia's vote could affect comparable discussions in other member states