Violence against women in Latvia | IRREGULAR LATVIAN

[@slimlitvak]

Thank you, Anete, for speaking out about this sickness. Power to you and all who work to change this!

[@conklindavison7127]

Wow. what an eye opener. Thank you for you openness about what the women of Latvia are experiencing. Everyone elso talks about the economy....but not tough issues. Please Please continue!

[@pauljackson4075]

Excellent work Anette by using your platform to help bring awareness to this problem. I hope your influence will help bring about change to archaic societal attitudes towards the violence and abuse of Latvian women and girls and ultimately lead to the passage of effective laws to prevent the crimes.

[@googooplayer189]

Very well presented, Anete. I believe that by you disclosing this sickness they are in denial of, and that they want to hide, it will help open people's eyes, and hopefully good change will happen and something can be done about making strong laws against the violence. You are a courageous person. Thank you for your journalism.

[@DeloiseNoble]

my sentiments exactly - this was incredibly well presented

[@craigfinnegan8534]

I respect you for being so openly strong against violence towards women in your country. It's always a tragic irony when men come to believe that violating women is a sign of strength. In truth it's a symptom of deeply-rooted weakness. Real men *protect* women from being violated, not perpetrate it. What you're describing in Latvia is the same cycle of abuse studied in Donald Dutton's excellent book: 'The Batterer.'

[@TimLongo-t3z]

I was reading the news about this, your video made it much more relatable. I am sorry to hear you have your own experiences. Thank you for this and your other videos, they're so very insightful, keep up the good work (even when it is difficult) Paldies!

[@sumcoolusername1483]

Thank you so much for talking about this

[@kayinoue2497]

We have this problem in a different way in America, as well as in my home culture of Japan (where we have an insanely low rate of reporting and prosecution of violence against women and a culture of shame/silence). Thank you for this enlightening take on this.

I am stunned by this recent episode. Thanks for this

[@owaisahmad5357]

From Amazing Instructor to Amazing People rights activist. Thank you for Raising the issue. Appreciate your courage and really feel Sorry and sad for the Situation.

[@mrtosajloterulio6898]

Well done! well said and encouraging to speak up about issues that need to be addressed in all countries! thanks for creating this content

[@DanFeldman-Edge]

Thank you for your unequivocal, balanced, and objective exposition of this predicament.

[@TheHermitsTablet]

As an English expatriate residing in Latvia for the past 4 years, I have had the opportunity to appreciate many positive aspects of this country. One notable aspect is the breathtaking nature that encompasses vast expanses of seemingly untouched wilderness. I find it fascinating that Latvians have managed to preserve numerous ancient pagan traditions too. Additionally, the cuisine is generally enjoyable, although, in some cases, it can lean towards being overly salty or sweet for my personal taste. 😁 One notable advantage I have experienced here is a general sense of safety, which differs from what I have observed in Western Europe, the UK, and America. While acknowledging the presence of crime in Latvia, I have noticed a notable distinction when comparing it to my home country. Here, it appears to be more discreet, occurring behind closed doors and relatively infrequently. Furthermore, I have noticed that the older generation, particularly in rural areas, maintains a strong sense of community, something that I believe has diminished in my home country. These positive attributes contribute to the overall appeal of Latvia. However, (and now onto the bad stuff) it is disheartening and unexpected to witness instances of significant alcoholism and intrafamily violence, which I have unfortunately come across on many occasions. Such dysfunctional behaviour is saddening because I firmly believe that Latvians have the potential to strive for better circumstances. I've observed a prevalent sense of passivity among Latvians regarding the issues you highlighted in this video. There seems to be a prevailing mindset of "someone else will take care of it" or a dismissive attitude of "it's normal," as you mentioned. It's surprising to me how frequently I encounter such responses for situations that appear highly abnormal from my perspective. If I had a cent for every time I heard that here, I would have amassed quite a fortune! I have personally experienced a situation where my father-in-law used the phrase "būt zem sievas turpeles" towards me. It was not because I am actually submissive, but rather because I value and respect my partner's thoughts, striving to collaborate as a team rather than imposing my own will. Moreover, I have observed instances of a poor work ethic, exemplified by the mistreatment my partner faces in her workplace (from guys) due to her managerial position. This mistreatment appears to stem from a sense of inferiority, rather than any rational basis. Ultimately, as an outsider, I don't feel it is my place to change Latvia. (Maybe you'd disagree?) It also feels a bit hypocritical of me to denigrate Latvia too much when my own home country has its share of issues. For instance, there was the highly distressing child rape and trafficking situation in Rotherham, England, which was tragically ignored by the police for decades, despite existing laws meant to prevent such atrocities (that's one of many examples). It is my belief that Latvia possesses significant untapped potential, if only more Latvians could recognize it and embrace a real positive change. I have quite a bit of hope for the younger generation of Latvians, but the older generations still need to impart healthier and wiser lessons onto them, instead of the bullshit I've seen first-hand. Anyway, this was an insightful video, even if I was already aware of most of this. Paldies!

[@SUPER-SVENSKA]

This is truly heartbreaking! Thank you for being so frank about it - bringing the ugly truth into the light is the first step on the road to abolishment of any evil.

[@inguunamelberga8041]

Very strong- and we need more - you have a voice!

[@pascalfournier1925]

I seriously wanna cry, my wife is Latvian and one of her brother is à police officer in Latvia

[@iggyblitz8739]

Yes but not all men are like this in Latvia, all my Latvian relatives in Latvia are not violent towards women, however there clearly needs to be change in the laws there.

[@pascalfournier1925]

@@iggyblitz8739 i know its not all people that are like that in Lv..i lived there for almost 10 months..what make me sad is the lack of action from the government, this is unaceptable.

[@AnnaGoodWolf]

I am very thankful for this video!!!

[@Zeidgenosse]

Important message! Thanks! I hope it gets a lot of attention! 💪♀

[@jean-michel.a]

Courageous and well articulated

[@Kocha04]

You definitely deserve WAY more subscribers. I am not learning Latvian, but I am thinking of starting with this journey of learning it. Hence, I was watching your videos. I watched this and yes, you do deserve more views and subscribers. Thanks for this and for telling us more about that beautiful small country which I was lucky enough to visit a few years ago. Hope I can be back there soon. All the best and please keep doing such good content!!

[@eudaemonia3134]

Liels palsies ka runā par šeit. I have been in a relationship with a Latvian man as a Norwegian NB..I gave him the benefit of the doubt, and he proved himself to be pretty dreadful, showing his "true colours" after some months. I thought it was just him, and that I just had bad luck. He claimed he had a western mentality(nothing proggressive about him)...now I can see more clearly..this was all happening in Norway, so luckily I am protected by the law. I threw out all his belongings and changed the lock before he got home from work. He has not bothered me since. I really hope the best for all Latvian women, men and others, and that we all will be protected with better laws and regulations

[@iggyblitz8739]

Sorry to hear that, all the Latvian men I know in my family and friends here in Australia or Latvia wouldn't be abusive towards women and I have been raised that way, however I know about some abuse and tough punishments towards the kids particularly in the previous generations.

[@irregularLatvian]

Thank you for sharing your story, im sorry to hear that you had to go through that. I think part of the sadness is also in the fact that in Latvia we only talk about violence once there are bruises. So so much other toxic behavior goes unnoticed. :(

[@SPARQLyArash]

what's a Norwegian NB?

[@PyroYeet]

I am in a long distance relationship with my Latvian girlfriend, she showed me this channel to learn some Latvian, I am destraught to see how bad the situation is in Latvia, I knew some countries were bad, but I did not expect a country as "developed" as Latvia to be this behind.

[@vixan]

yoo where u from

[@iggyblitz8739]

Well the laws are behind but iDV is not an issue with any of my Latvian relatives in Latvia and don't forget it's still a relatively new or renewed democracy after many many years of soviet and heavy Russian influence, it will evolve but it's somewhat understandable.

[@PyroYeet]

@@vixan Belgium

[@Dedalaus]

The info in this video is so accurate and down to the point! It is embarrassing to realize I live in a country that allows such disgusting behaviors. I truly hope people can listen and react to this! The word needs to spread.

[@iggyblitz8739]

Good points, are there any women's shelters in Latvia ?, if not perhaps you could start the first one ?

[@tigerboy1966]

Well done for speaking out!

[@sadfaery]

This was a really interesting and educational video. Thank you for making it. I'm American but I work with victims of domestic violence and it's always interesting to learn about the situation in other places.

[@emmarichardson3810]

Great video, thank you ❤. I sense and share your frustration with government inaction. Here in NZ there is a problem with institutionalized violence and abuse of children in state care, degrading treatment of patients at mental health facilities etc. Successive govts have been very reluctant to do anything about it and prevent it from happening. Human rights get violated, but like in Latvia it seems people in power are not too concerned about it. Very sad, particularly when a country portrays itself as progressive and democratic. I hope you are able to bring about change.

[@Akenfelds1]

Excellent video, Anete. I've been reposting it to various FB groups in order to raise awareness. I'm an Australian-born Latvian citizen living in Rīga. I have noticed some of the ridiculous attitudes of the people in the Saeima and I'm shocked to hear that no law protects women from sexual harassment on the streets. That needs to be changed immediately. In the past, Latvia hasn't had much of a civil society that challenges government. I'm happy to see more people have been speaking out and protesting lately. There's more to democracy than merely casting a vote once every four years (something, mind you, that the average Latvian can't be bothered doing). In addition to voting, the public must always have a voice and exercise its voice. The Saeima and the Executive can never be allowed to think they can just laze back and do whatever takes their fancy and the citizens of this country will be perfectly happy with them. They need to be forced to earn their salaries and show everybody that they are protecting society's most vulnerable from violence and that they are committed to the same. Thank you for speaking out about this issue.

[@dymytryruban4324]

Apparently "to be under wife's shoe" describes a servile man. It is more like one who acts obediently at his wife's whim. The verb "listen" is confusing here because apparently its Latvian equivalent may also mean "to obey" in addition to "hear out". More importantly there are things within our control and there are those beyond. In case the victim was repeatedly stalked and harassed and nothing done by law enforcement despite her multiple request, it is definitely not victim's fault.

[@irregularLatvian]

Omg youre so right, I hadn’t thought of the listen connotation. There are different word tho Klausīt - to obey Klausīties - to listen (to a person, music) Uzklausīt - to hear someone out

[@Asehpe]

All this blaming the victim, and cutlivating violence as a masculine value... I see this as a continuation not only of old values (common in the West a while back), but also of Russian/Soviet values. A lot of what you talk about is terribly reminiscent of Russia and its culture (especially justifications like 'preserving Latvian values'...). I wished I could change cultural values; but even in my own country I often feel powerless. I hope Latvia will grow beyond such stupid attitudes. Lots of luck to the current discussion on this issue in Latvian society -- may they represent a beginning for meaningful changes!

[@iggyblitz8739]

Yes it will, it's evolving each day as a nation after so many years of darkness, all the best changes won't always happen quickly but as it becomes more European it will be better, but it doesn't need to be exactly like the rest of Europe because the ' progressive ' stuff is going in the other extreme, it should still be it's own country and retain some good traditional values.

Oh no, Anete. I'm so sorry things are like this. Seems suffocating. Unfortunately, the culture in Brazil has similarities. The difference is that we have a law called Maria da Penha which brings more balance towards women, although there's still a lot to improve. The current political situation also affects Brazil and anything you want to do to improve women rights is discarded with the same arguments used in Latvia. Using moral panic as an excuse to keep the inequality. Your video is powerful and you are brave to bring this subject to light the way you are doing.

[@LarvaeLightening]

I visited Latvia once, beautiful country and woodlands but didn’t feel very safe. Sad to hear that women get a very bad deal.

[@janisber111]

Istanbul Convention should be signed a long time ago. Unfortunetly its also true, that laws against sexual violence against men is in much worst state and I wish that something would be done for it to. But that does not mean we can stop and do nothing about Istanbul Convention.

[@27superstef]

Thanks for making this video! As a Dutch guy living in Latvia, I had no idea the law and prosecution was lacking so much here. It's sad and infuriating to listen to everything you just said, and I hope no visas sirds that the mentality can change for the better in the next generation

[@AmericanDreamer]

Hi, what brought you to Latvia and how do you feel here so far? Also, where in the NL are you from ? Groetjes

[@aleksandarsavic9830]

I am moving to Latvia in the near future, coming from a country that's rife with patriarchy, violence, and toxic societal patterns. I'm sorry to hear that this is such a big issue in Latvia and I hope to contribute in some way once I settle.

[@iggyblitz8739]

I doubt it's a massive issue, you will likely meet some great gentlemen in Latvia too, like anywhere it depends on who you circulate with.

[@aivele]

I have not experienced violence or harassment and my closest friends have not said anything as well. The issue is the complete lack of action from the police in this and other cases. We are just really fortunate that we live in a quite safe society

[@aleksandarsavic9830]

@@aivele when there is no support system, ie the police or other government institutions, that's a problem.

[@aleksandarsavic9830]

@@iggyblitz8739 as in most places, if you find your circle, you'll be fine most of the time, but generally speaking, if the society is not immune or reactive, alongside the institutions, then that's an issue.

[@sonnyfinch1625]

Well made video

[@TotalRookie_LV]

7:05 - WTF?! I mean.. WoW! For a comparison - I am an actual "lover boy" (as some say "incurably romantic"), I had a talk with a girl, she said she does not love me (we had a romance for some 5-6 months, problem was - she knew it's not going to last, but I was naive, with no experience and believed, that "this is it - the real love"), and that was it, I just could not even think of attempting to be with her after that, to push myself onto her. That night I slept on a coach (it was on her flat), woke up in the morning, saw her still sleeping on her bed and... went to kitchen to wash dishes after our evening parting "party". It was my duty to let her go, to let her find her right person. And she did - just a few months later she met the man, who became her husband (I did not know it back then, of course, I'm not a stalker 🤣 Had a little exchange with her ~20 years later). I also found the right girl for me, except it took me somewhat longer than mere months, as I was a 'little" devastated, so I did not even try to approach anyone for a couple of years.

[@thefemalecaptain]

This is still a huge problem in the UK too. Although we have the laws, getting a prosecution is so hard. I hope all the women protesting make a difference and you get these law changed/brought in

[@martil.9058]

I m polish married to Latvian man, and we always have this discussion on which country is more fcked up . And yeah Poland has a lot of issues n sexual violence is one of it, but even us probably have some better laws .. though you guys at least can abort if it endanger your life or is from violence... we can't, it ll send us to prison. I love your work Anete thankyou for doing this

[@irregularLatvian]

Thank you for sharing this. A chilling reminder of what a long way we still have to go. And I just saw a video that Poland is poised to be the next superpower of Europe in rearms of tech and production. Let’s hope there’s progress all around 🤞

[@Vort317545]

As a Latvian-American (Latvian Parents and Grandparents) I’m extremely saddened and angry to hear this going on back in the homeland! I most assuredly will be writing the consulate here to demand changes to the laws there! In the Latvian-American Community and Culture here, we were raised to highly respect women. Even if they’re dead wrong, They're Right! :) Mothers, Sisters, Daughters Aunts, and Grandmothers are the bedrock of the Family and our People. Thus Respected and Cherished! Deeply saddened that’s not the case in Latvia now.

[@iggyblitz8739]

That's true also in the Australian- Latvian community and many Aus- Latvian men are very noble and gentlemen like to their girlfriends & wives etc, but there were some pretty bad cases of domestic violence but mainly towards kids, my cousin got abused terribly by his Dad, his sister didn't get any physical abuse'but plenty of mental abuse. I also know of other cases, most didn't get reported either unfortunately because the previous generation believed some tough punishment for kids is ok, although there's a difference between tough punishment and abuse.

[@aivele]

I think that this is where we see the impact of the soviet times and the "great" russian culture forced upon us. I think that the police force especially is very soviet, where a lot of employees just do not do anything and still get paid.

[@iggyblitz8739]

​@@aiveleYes although over time it will get better as Latvia becomes more European.

[@Asehpe]

Quite original for a language course. I'm interested!

[@j.a4196]

But then I see Sweden, they signed the Istanbul Convention, and Swedes have cases like the 9yo Luna. The 15yo monster wasn't arrested and then only got sentenced to forensic psychiatric care, they didn't even say for how long he will be there. I bet he will be free and will do the same thing soon. IMO All those treaties and conventions at the end don't change anything, more bureaucracy. If anything, Latvia should make their own laws. Call me a radical but a rapist shouldn't be breathing. The same goes to cases like the murderer in 1:13. Problem solved.

[@iggyblitz8739]

A rapist shouldn't be breathing ?, really?,, It depends on the situation, some rapes are non violent and consent is confusing( between adults ) , there are a wide range of sexual assault, and yes some are pretty bad, but others it's a heat of the moment situation( when they both know each other ) and it can in certain situations be difficult to determine consent. Having said that I looked up that story and that was horrible, raping of children is sickening, and there was attempted murder and permanent physical damage to the girl, this is very cruel and brutal his sentence should have been life in prison with no parole at least Also capital punishment doesn't solve the problem, tougher prison sentences for violent rapes and there are even victim programs that come face to face with the perpetrators to let them know how much it has effected them, it has been relatively beneficial to the victims, they do this in NZ., also better education preparing young men in certain situations could be taught in schools. It's also strange how society somehow accepts domestic violence more than rape, a woman can be beaten within an inch of her life by her boyfriend and the laws are not as strict as they should be compared to rape ? This is the case ain any country.

[@ForestHealth]

I do agree. Only rapists themselves may say it's radical.

[@j.a4196]

@@iggyblitz8739 I agree with the first part of your comment. These days women can lie and ruin men's lives. However, I said what I said. I don't believe those criminals should have human rights. I don't believe they should be breathing. Look at Singapur, before and after, it worked. Drug traffickers got the death penalty too.

[@iggyblitz8739]

​​​​​​​@@ForestHealthot at all, did you read what I wrote ?, and it depends on what you mean by rapist, there are a wide range of sexual assaults, the most brutal you might have a point but a non violent misunderstanding between adults that know each other does happen. So let me ask you, do you think the same about a guy that beats up his girlfriend ?., which is the main topic of the video. I am not saying any of these things are right but the punishment has to fit the crime, domestic violence does not carry the same stigma as rape for whatever reason ?, guys get away with beating the absolute crap out of their girlfriend/ wives compared to much more strict/ severe consequences for sexual assault.

[@ForestHealth]

@@iggyblitz8739 I meant that I agree with ''j.a'' comment. At time i was writing my comment i replied to ''j.a'' not yours. Sorry for confusion.

[@BANKO007]

I have long been convinced that jail is useless for most crimes. The one exception is violence and tough jail penalties should be reserved for cases where physical violence is committed. Latvia also hosts disgusting events like Erots which normalises horrific exploitation.

[@iggyblitz8739]

How does an erotic event for consenting adults encourage exploitation?

[@BANKO007]

@@iggyblitz8739 Not encourage exploitation, it is exploitation.

[@iggyblitz8739]

​@@BANKO007How through ?

[@Itsinsanitysanty]

gosh that bad :( man why i love your videos

[@lewiscarpenter3210]

I suppose your thoughts and comments. No one deserves to be hit or abused. Women or child. I pray 🙏 that things will change in your country. 😢

[@dzintrarowe4272]

I grew up in USA with laws to protect woman, so I don't understand why Latvia doesn't realize the equality between the two sexes.

[@georgejackman8691]

Sad😢

[@SamJones-11]

Don’t hurt Latvian women😢

[@galaxydave3807]

Don't hurt any pain-sensitive creatures on earth ^^

[@iggyblitz8739]

And the kids, it's part of Latvian culture to give tough punishments( often excessive ) to kids, this should change.

[@straight1080]

or anyone for that matter

[@DarkBooks_DarkWine]

I have a question. Unrelated to this video, but about Latvian mentality or culture. At a company dinner, a Latvian colleague sitting next to me. I mentioned that the wine does not go with the fish (it was a sweet desert wine...). Only to my immediate table neighbours, not criticising loudly or complaining to the waiters. Nonetheless, he seemed uncomfortable. Is it a no-no in Latvia to criticise the host or something? It was a hotel restaurant though.

[@irregularLatvian]

Ooo interesting. Tough to say because people are different. I can only project my own experience into your situation. My first guess is that he could have a sense of insecurity about not noticing such things. Or maybe that you come across as “aristocratic” by making such a comment. Maybe it’s an education insecurity, maybe a “poorness” insecurity. Idk why many Latvians have this inferiority complex when it comes to ‘the finer things in life’, I’ve noticed we tend to reject the idea that we could genuinely enjoy a more expensive wine. Maybe one day I’ll figure it out :) Hope this helps.

[@DarkBooks_DarkWine]

@@irregularLatvian Thank you for the reply! So at least I haven't broken any hospitality rule, phew! Then I go with your theory of insecurity about not noticing this. Very good channel by the way, keep it up! 🙂

[@OnlyShadowTV]

you know its everywhere not only in Latvia

[@ludovic2431]

The EU should put things clear. It is a problem in almost every EU country but it seems to be particulairly bad in Latvia. It is all about human rights. When there are economical consequences things shall change. The EU has some issues with Poland and Hungary aswell and believe me, they shall be solved. Without accepting the Istanbul Convention there should be no place for Latvia within the EU. Something went wrong with passing the "Council of Europe exam". The Council of Europe, considered as the "EU light" .

[@gamergod7434]

Great video

[@andretan10]

What about a violence against men? Especially verbal.

[@TotalRookie_LV]

On one hand, Latvia seem to do quite well in gender equality our legislation is pretty progressive, around 1/6 of our armed forces are women, a lot of top politicians are ladies, but... Then there are cases like this. And my first girlfriend was looking for statistic data on violence against women in Latvia a couple of decades ago for her studies, I'm not sure, how much she did find (Internet was in it's infancy, so she had to do it by calling various institutions by phone) and how forthcoming were those authorities. Om the bright side - if such cases cause a lot of outcry, this means such violence is not normalised in the society. Anyway, ,we have a lot to do to improve, obviously.

[@James-ik1ne]

Where is this spouse from

[@enlightenedsipper]

great important video. we experience the same problems my parents are algerian. my mum wasnt loved by her father because he had 4 daughters in a row and was mad he didnt get a son instead... imagine creating 4 humans yet still ungrateful. 'tough love' is the worst of teachers. evidently with my mum and all her sisters divorced. i feel that patriarchy stems from religion a bit. also a theory that movies brainwash men to think in this way. men are not above nature. infact theyre the worker gender. theyre supposed to cater to women. not vice versa. as my natural instincts stop me from fighting somebody weaker like kids and women evidently. but wars brainwash us to think that conquering is good. violence is good. when really the only time a male should exert force is thru hunting. protecting. but men hv this stubborn mindset. influenced by film propaganda. our ancestors must feel ashamed at this 'new' type of masculinity

[@walterl322]

Ja šis ir latviskums, tad man to nevajag...

[@iggyblitz8739]

?

[@craigfinnegan8534]

So says the problem to the solution.

[@walterl322]

@@craigfinnegan8534 look, if you don't understand what I'm saying, maybe don't get involved...

[@artursbondars7789]

Yeah, is no wonder from parlament who openly discriminates its own citizens and openly engage in smear campaigns against society. Even Latvian president sad that situation in Latvia do not require law changes and their arguments are simply crazy. Its good that I didn't wote for them. All You sad it's true and large part of society do not accept such behaviors and advocates for immediate change and corrections of laws for years or even decades in some cases.

[@issawaled2062]

Oohhh my dearling How you sweety ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@nkj3985]

😍

[@ainarszelcs3365]

Neapmelojiet savu tautu un Latviju!

[@MyBabeUzakiChan]

move to middle east