Latvia’s parliament voted on Thursday to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention on preventing violence against women, potentially making it the first European Union member to do so.
The proposal passed with 56 votes in favour, 32 against, and 2 abstentions.
Right-wing opposition parties opposed the move, along with members of the Union of Greens and Farmers, part of Prime Minister Evika Silina’s coalition government.
If approved by the president, Latvia will officially leave the convention, which was ratified by its parliament in November 2024.
The Istanbul Convention mandates legislative and policy measures to combat violence against women and domestic violence.
Critics of the treaty in Latvia argue that it introduces a definition of gender that extends beyond biological sex, treating it as a social construct. They claim that existing national laws are sufficient to address issues of gender-based violence.
