Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has issued a long-awaited apology to the Greenlandic women and their families affected by what she called systematic discrimination during a contraceptive campaign. During the 1960s and 70s, thousands of Inuit women and girls as young as 12 were fitted with contraceptive devices as part of a birth-control programme administered by Danish doctors.
We cannot change what has happened. But we can take responsibility, Frederiksen said of the scandal, acknowledging that victims had experienced both physical and psychological harm.
The scale of the birth-control programme was first brought to light in 2022 by an investigative podcast called Spiralkampagnen - the coil campaign. The device used is commonly known as a coil and is placed inside the womb to prevent pregnancy. In recent years, numerous women have come forward to share traumatic accounts of being fitted with an intra-uterine device (IUD) without their knowledge or consent, leading to public shock and outrage.
Records from the national archives showed that, between 1966 and 1970, 4,500 women and girls, some as young as 13, had an IUD implanted. A group of 143 women have since filed a lawsuit against the Danish state, with many of the plaintiffs under 18 at the time of their procedures. The former Prime Minister of Greenland, Mute B Egede, referred to this as genocide. A formal inquiry into the matter is underway, expected to reveal the full extent of these abuses.
While many view the apology as a positive step toward addressing historical grievances, calls for acknowledgment of human rights violations and compensation remain critical points of contention. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also emphasized the importance of addressing these injustices and achieving closure for victims. The apology, although welcomed, has been described as too late by some leaders in Greenland, highlighting the long-lasting impact of these actions on the community's trust in the Danish government.
We cannot change what has happened. But we can take responsibility, Frederiksen said of the scandal, acknowledging that victims had experienced both physical and psychological harm.
The scale of the birth-control programme was first brought to light in 2022 by an investigative podcast called Spiralkampagnen - the coil campaign. The device used is commonly known as a coil and is placed inside the womb to prevent pregnancy. In recent years, numerous women have come forward to share traumatic accounts of being fitted with an intra-uterine device (IUD) without their knowledge or consent, leading to public shock and outrage.
Records from the national archives showed that, between 1966 and 1970, 4,500 women and girls, some as young as 13, had an IUD implanted. A group of 143 women have since filed a lawsuit against the Danish state, with many of the plaintiffs under 18 at the time of their procedures. The former Prime Minister of Greenland, Mute B Egede, referred to this as genocide. A formal inquiry into the matter is underway, expected to reveal the full extent of these abuses.
While many view the apology as a positive step toward addressing historical grievances, calls for acknowledgment of human rights violations and compensation remain critical points of contention. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also emphasized the importance of addressing these injustices and achieving closure for victims. The apology, although welcomed, has been described as too late by some leaders in Greenland, highlighting the long-lasting impact of these actions on the community's trust in the Danish government.
