A Setback and a Stand: 10,000 Latvians Rise to Defend Women’s Rights

On October 30, 2025, the Latvian Parliament voted to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, with 56 votes in favour, 32 against and 2 abstentions. If confirmed, Latvia would become the first EU member state to leave the Council of Europe’s treaty on preventing and combating gender based violence. 

International observers, including the Council of Europe and women’s rights organisations, have criticised the withdrawal vote as a setback for gender equality in Europe. They have urged conservative Latvian politicians, members of the ruling coalition, to maintain their commitments to protect women from violence. So, why did Latvia decide to diverge from the prevailing European approach on this fundamental human rights issue?

What is the Istanbul Convention?

This Council of Europe treaty is a legally binding agreement aiming to strengthen the fight against gender based violence in signatory countries. This means that signatories to this convention are obligated to strengthen their legal systems to protect victims of forced marriage and sexual and domestic violence classified as criminal offenses. States must then submit to a monitoring mechanism to assess its implementation in terms of prevention, protection, and prosecution, and to coordinate their policies in accordance with the convention. Until now, no EU country had spoken out against this Council of Europe treaty. Only one signatory state, Erdogan's Turkiye, has reversed course and withdrawn from this convention, signed in Istanbul in 2011.

Latvia is therefore creating another shift less than two years after its parliament ratified the treaty in 2024. A state that turns its back on the Istanbul Convention is abandoning its international commitments to combat domestic violence against women. It should be noted, however, that of the 45 signatory states, 6 states,  Armenia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania, have still not ratified the treaty.

The justification of conservative politicians:

This campaign against the Istanbul Convention began just a few weeks ago in populist conservative circles, with several central arguments: the treaty would have no effect on the number of domestic violence cases in the country, and certain aspects of the convention would be contrary to traditional family values. These arguments are supported by the "Latvia First" party. This party is led by an oligarch who claims to be anti-establishment.

For his part, Gunars Kutris, a member of parliament from the Union of Greens and Farmers, justifies his opposition to the convention by stating that the majority of its articles do not address domestic violence against women. Instead, he claims the articles refer to a socially constructed family and gender identity. Paradoxically, he also claims to support female victims of domestic violence.

The Fears of Women Surviving Domestic Violence:

The Marta Association, composed of women who have survived domestic violence, helps many other victims of violent husbands. For them, the Istanbul Convention is more than just words. It makes a huge difference; in the past, battered women would return to their homes for lack of alternatives. Thanks to the Convention, there are emergency shelters in Latvia where victims can go immediately without waiting for a court decision.

The prospect of Latvia withdrawing from this Council of Europe treaty outrages them, especially in a country with one of the highest rates of femicide in Europe. The women helped by the Marta Association are now worried about losing access to these safety measures if the country withdraws from the Istanbul Convention.In support of their compatriots, the women in the Latvian parliament wore blood red, reminiscent of the blood red of the women who were killed.

Highly Engaged Youth:

For conservative Latvian politicians, this convention has become a tool for promoting gender identity. They argue that Latvia already has sufficient laws against domestic violence and that the Convention introduces unnecessary or ideological obligations.

However, this issue seems to deeply divide the conservative political class and Latvian youth. In Riga, the latter are mobilizing to defend a more progressive viewpoint. Young people are organizing their own demonstrations in the capital with slogans accusing the three main conservative political groups (NA, ZZS, AS) of being under the Kremlin's influence. The fact that Turkey is the only country to have withdrawn from the convention does not inspire young Latvians to support their government’s actions as they also denounce Erdoğan's authoritarian tendencies.

On November 6 2025 at least 10,000 people gathered in Dome Square in Riga to protest against the withdrawal. Such a mobilisation is rare in a country of only 1.8 million inhabitants, leading analysts to describe it as one of the largest civic mobilisations since Latvia’s independence. 

"What a horror for Europe, what joy for Russia!" the crowd shouted.

It should be added that Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina joined the march.

“We will not give up denouncing this attempt to overturn the treaty. We will fight to ensure that violence does not prevail.”

However, a smaller number of counter-protesters support the position of the populist MPs. They share this desire to protect traditional family values. They say they fear progressive education for their children.

One hope remains!

However, the withdrawal has not yet taken effect. President Edgars Rinkēvičs has consistently supported the Istanbul Convention and its protections, focusing on preventing withdrawal rather than opposing the treaty itself. He refused to sign the bill, sending it back to the Saeima for further consideration. He stated that Latvia should not take such a step without a national debate and stronger domestic protections for women. The President also recommended that Parliament revisit the issue only after the 2026 elections. As a result, the withdrawal process is currently on hold.

For now, Latvia remains bound by the Istanbul Convention and continues to apply its provisions. The Council of Europe has not received any formal withdrawal notification. The outcome will depend on the next parliamentary vote or a possible referendum, should the President’s request be upheld. Whether this pause will lead to reflection or renewed division remains to be seen — but for many Latvians, the struggle to protect women from violence continues. It should be noted that in Latvia, a woman is killed by a domestic perpetrator approximately once every 20 days.