In the Latvian translation of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the so-called Istanbul Convention), the term 'social gender' is inaccurately translated from English, and the Ombudsman’s Office will request to correct this definition, said Ombudsman Karina Palkova on Latvian television.
"But I don’t think it will change anything at this stage," she said, commenting on the initiative in the Saeima to denounce the convention. Palkova acknowledged that she would be glad if Latvia did not withdraw from the Istanbul Convention. However, if the Saeima chooses to denounce it and propose another document instead, "the main thing is to continue the work that has begun and to work on reducing the level of violence," the ombudsman noted.
She explained that in the case of the convention, Latvia is under observation and has legal obligations, while if the Saeima supports the declaration 'On the Prevention and Eradication of Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence,' the oversight of its compliance will be carried out by the Saeima itself.
Palkova stated that she herself read the Istanbul Convention and studied the terminology related to social gender. When asked whether the convention poses a threat to traditional family values, Palkova answered negatively.
