Women from Greenland seek compensation from the Danish government for a campaign of involuntary birth control

A group of 67 women from Greenland is demanding compensation from the Danish government for a coercive birth control campaign conducted in the 1960s. This campaign, which aimed to limit birth rates among the indigenous population of Greenland, a former Danish colony until 1953, targeted at least 4,500 women, including teenagers.

The extensive nature of this campaign was revealed last year in a podcast by Danish broadcaster DR. National archive records disclosed that between 1966 and 1970, intrauterine devices (IUDs) were implanted in women, some as young as 13, without their knowledge or consent, as reported by the BBC.

A commission established jointly by the Danish and Greenlandic governments to investigate this program is not expected to deliver its findings until May 2025. However, the affected women, some of whom are now in their 70s, are not willing to wait for the inquiry’s results. They are demanding compensation of 300,000 kroner ($42,150) each.

Some women experienced severe health complications, such as infertility, as the inserted devices were often too large for their bodies. In other cases, women were unaware of the presence of these devices until they were discovered during recent gynecological examinations.

Psychologist Naja Lyberth, who initiated the compensation claim, has accused the Danish government of attempting to control Greenland’s population size to reduce welfare costs. She argues that the government violated human rights and caused significant harm to the affected women.

Mads Pramming, the lawyer representing the women, submitted the compensation claim to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s office. Although the government may delay the request until the commission concludes its investigation, the group is prepared to take legal action if necessary.

In the past year, Denmark issued an apology and provided compensation to six Inuit individuals who were separated from their families in the 1950s as part of an effort to establish a Danish-speaking elite within Greenland.

Greenland, with a population of approximately 57,000, is the world’s largest island and the northernmost land area. While it has its own flag, language, and prime minister, aspects such as currency, the justice system, and foreign and security affairs are still under Danish control.

The women affected by the forced birth control campaign are determined to seek justice and acknowledgment of the harm they endured, regardless of the ongoing commission’s findings.