US EditionDenmark Apologizes for Forced IUDs on Greenlandic Women
- On Wednesday in Nuuk, the leaders of Denmark and Greenland formally apologized for the historical practice of involuntary contraception imposed on Indigenous Greenlandic women, a policy that dates back to the 1960s.
- The apologies came after an independent report released earlier this month revealed that some Inuit victims, including girls as young as 12, were subjected to contraceptive measures such as IUD placement or hormonal birth control injections without their consent in an effort to control population growth.
- Over 4,000 females, including both women and girls, were reportedly fitted with IUDs from the 1960s through the mid-1970s, with many experiencing physical pain and emotional distress; 354 women provided testimonies to investigators.
- Frederiksen acknowledged that the past cannot be changed but emphasized the need to take responsibility, announcing the Danish government's plan to create a fund aimed at providing financial compensation to victims as part of reconciliation efforts.
- The apologies and fund signal Denmark’s intent to reconcile past abuses amid ongoing lawsuits and Greenlandic calls for broader dialogue on historical injustices and self-governance.
144 Articles
144 Articles
Danish PM apologizes in person to victims of forced contraception on Greenland
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has visited the country's autonomous territory of Greenland and apologized in person to women who were victims of the government's birth control campaign decades ago.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen apologized in person in the Greenlandic capital Nuuk on Wednesday for a dark chapter in history when Danish doctors forced contraception on an entire generation of indigenous Greenlandic women and girls. The response from the Greenlandic public was mixed, with tears of emotion and expressions of distrust and accusations of political motives.
Thousands of women were secretly implanted with contraceptive devices. Now they are demanding accountability and compensation. Shocking contraceptive scandal in Greenland
The leaders of Greenlandic politics have different views on whether Denmark committed genocide during the spiral campaign. The opposition party Naleraq will follow the case to the end at an international court.
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