Latvian Parliament Votes to Withdraw from International Treaty on Domestic Violence

Opponents of the convention say it introduces a definition of gender that goes beyond biological sex.

Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina speaks to reporters as she arrives for an EU Summit at the European Council building in Brussels on Oct. 23, 2025. Harry Nakos/AP Photo

The Latvian parliament voted on Oct. 30 to leave an international treaty aimed at reducing violence against women, with opponents to the convention saying it does not work and promotes gender ideology.

According to the Saeima, Latvia’s unicameral parliament, lawmakers supported the final reading of the Baltic country’s withdrawal from the Council of Europe’s Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, often referred to as the Istanbul Convention.