The Danish government has announced plans to offer financial compensation to Greenlandic women who were subjected to birth control measures without their knowledge or consent, following decades of state-led population control policies.
The move comes a month after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued a formal apology over the practice, admitting that while the past cannot be undone, Denmark could “take responsibility.”
Between the 1960s and 1990s, when Denmark managed Greenland’s healthcare system, thousands of women and girls were fitted with intrauterine devices (IUDs), often without explanation or consent. The campaign was part of a government effort to curb population growth in Greenland, according to official records and recent investigations.
In 2023, 143 women filed a lawsuit against Denmark, claiming they had been forcibly fitted with contraceptives. While the legal case is ongoing, media investigations and a government-commissioned study suggest that the number of women affected could be far higher.
The independent report, conducted by Danish and Greenlandic universities, found that at least 4,070 Greenlandic women and girls had IUDs inserted by 1970, which researchers estimate represented “approximately every other Greenlandic-born woman of childbearing age.” The study also documented 410 cases in detail, including 349 that involved medical complications.
One victim recalled undergoing the procedure at just 12 years old while at boarding school. “The school principal came and told us that we all had to go down to the hospital,” she told researchers. “We were given no explanation, let alone information about what it was all about.”
Legal experts say the campaign may have violated both Danish law and international human rights conventions, though courts will determine whether any laws were broken.
On Monday, Frederiksen signaled that compensation will be included in a broader reconciliation effort, which will also establish a dedicated fund for Greenlanders subjected to systematic discrimination. The details of the payout scheme have not yet been finalized, though the women involved in the lawsuit are seeking nearly 43 million Danish kroner (€5.8 million) in damages.
The Danish and Greenlandic governments are expected to deliver a joint apology later this year at a ceremony in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, organized in cooperation with victim representatives.
Frederiksen has previously apologized for other state policies affecting Greenlanders, including the so-called Greenland Children Project in which 22 children were taken from their families and relocated to Denmark in the 1950s. However, this will be the first time her government attaches financial compensation to such an apology.
Researchers and lawyers representing victims say the move could set a precedent for other historical abuse cases, including adoption practices and inheritance rights disputes involving Greenlanders.
