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. On behalf of Denmark, I would like to say sorry, she said, 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, or uterus, to prevent pregnancy. In the past few years, many women have come forward to say they were fitted with an intra-uterine device (IUD) without their knowledge or consent. Few had previously been aware of the contraceptive campaign, and the reports prompted shock and anger.
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. Of these, it is unclear how many cases lacked consent. However, dozens of women have come forward sharing traumatic personal accounts, with some left sterile. A group of 143 women have since filed a lawsuit against the Danish state demanding compensation. 138 of them were under 18 at the time. The birth control's use was so widespread that Greenland's population growth severely slowed.
In December, Mute B Egede, the former Prime Minister of Greenland, described the actions as 'genocide'. A formal inquiry was launched, and findings are set to be released next month, following two years of investigation. Frederiksen stated that the case had caused 'anger and sadness for many Greenlanders and many families', damaging perceptions of Denmark. The apology marks a significant moment in acknowledging past injustices, with Greenlandic officials emphasizing the need for accountability and reparations.
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, or uterus, to prevent pregnancy. In the past few years, many women have come forward to say they were fitted with an intra-uterine device (IUD) without their knowledge or consent. Few had previously been aware of the contraceptive campaign, and the reports prompted shock and anger.
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. Of these, it is unclear how many cases lacked consent. However, dozens of women have come forward sharing traumatic personal accounts, with some left sterile. A group of 143 women have since filed a lawsuit against the Danish state demanding compensation. 138 of them were under 18 at the time. The birth control's use was so widespread that Greenland's population growth severely slowed.
In December, Mute B Egede, the former Prime Minister of Greenland, described the actions as 'genocide'. A formal inquiry was launched, and findings are set to be released next month, following two years of investigation. Frederiksen stated that the case had caused 'anger and sadness for many Greenlanders and many families', damaging perceptions of Denmark. The apology marks a significant moment in acknowledging past injustices, with Greenlandic officials emphasizing the need for accountability and reparations.
