2025-11-01

Impact in Latvia!

Last night, a majority of members of the Saeima (Latvian Parliament) voted for Latvia to withdraw from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, commonly known as the Istanbul Convention.

The President of Latvia now has 10 days to decide on the next step. We will continue to protest, but the outcome is unclear and the process will be long and complicated.

Latvian parliament votes to exit Istanbul Convention / Article

Latvian President says he'll think about Istanbul Convention exit law / Article

Disturbing news that the Latvian Parliament has voted to withdraw from the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention. This development represents not only a setback for women’s rights and safety in Latvia, but also a worrying signal about the country’s commitment to international standards that protect human rights and the rule of law.

The Istanbul Convention is a cornerstone for protecting women and girls from gender-based violence, and its principles are fully aligned with Zonta International's mission to build a world where women's rights are recognized as human rights.

Our dedicated D21 zontas – especially in Latvia, together with civil society partners, have and will continue to tirelessly advocate for Latvia to remain in the Convention. In recent weeks, zontas in Latvia, especially the clubs in Riga and Ogre, have participated in demonstrations, shared information on social media, collected signatures for a petition and participated in the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee to express our support for the Convention.

Zonta District 21 urges to continue using its voice to reach out to all relevant bodies and decision-makers; the President of Latvia, parliamentary representatives, etc. to make it clear that withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention would undermine the protection of women and girls and weaken Latvia's position as a country committed to human rights and the rule of law.

Collaborate with other like-minded organizations. While the best contacts are found locally, Zonta International stands firmly with our members in Latvia in this important advocacy work. Contacts with the Zonta Council of Europe Committee are communicated to the relevant Area Director. The committee can provide support in advocacy work from a European perspective. And together with the Zonta Advocacy Coordinator, the committee can inform Zonta national advocacy groups for additional advocacy support.

Please email and call those responsible, write to newspapers and contact journalists, and keep social media busy. The betrayal of the Latvian Parliament should not go unnoticed.

Together we can make our collective voice heard. Silence is not an option when hard-won progress is at risk, so let's use this momentum and hope it's not already too late.