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Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

Latvia's parliament members have decided to pull out from an global treaty created to protect women from violence, covering family violence, following prolonged and heated discussions in the legislature.

Several thousand of protesters assembled in the capital this past week to oppose the decision. The ultimate decision now lies with President Edgars Rinkevics, who must decide whether to endorse or veto the legislation.

Referred to as the European treaty, the 2011 agreement only became active in the Baltic state last year, requiring governments to develop laws and assistance programs to end all forms of violence.

Latvia has become the first EU country to begin the process of withdrawing from the treaty. The transcontinental nation withdrew in two years ago, a move that rights groups described as a significant regression for women's rights.

Ideological Debate and Opposition

The treaty was approved by the European Union in last year, yet traditionalist factions have argued that its focus 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 convention, a action sponsored by opposition parties but backed by representatives from one of the three governing partners.

The outcome represents a defeat for centre-right Prime Minister Evika Silina, who stood with protesters outside the legislature earlier this seven-day period. "We will not surrender, we will persist in our struggle so that violence does not triumph," she declared to the crowd.

Political Divisions and Responses

One of the primary parties advocating for the withdrawal is a nationalist party, whose head has urged citizens to choose between what he terms a "traditional family unit" and "gender ideology with multiple sexes".

The nation's ombudswoman Karina Palkova urged the agreement not to be politicized, while the group Equality Now asserted it was "not a danger to Latvian values, it was an instrument to achieve them".

The recent vote has provoked widespread protest both inside the country and abroad.

Twenty-two thousand people have signed a Latvian appeal demanding the treaty to be maintained. The gender equality group the rights center has called a protest for the coming week, charging MPs of disregarding the will of the nation's citizens.

Global Concerns and Possible Future Actions

The leader of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly commented that the Baltic state had made a hasty choice driven by misinformation. He described it as an "never-before-seen and extremely worrying regression for female equality and human rights in the continent".

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

Because the decision did not secure a two-thirds support, the president could possibly send back the legislation for further consideration if he has concerns.

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

Recently, another component of the governing alliance, the reformist party, suggested it would not rule out petitioning to the supreme judicial body.

"This decision represents a worrisome situation for gender equality not only in Latvia but throughout Europe," stated a human rights advocate.

• Domestic abuse statistics have been increasing in multiple European countries
• The Istanbul Convention requires specific legal protections for victims of gender-based violence
• Latvia's vote could influence similar discussions in other EU countries