Forced birth control in Greenland violated women’s rights, experts find

In a move aimed at addressing a dark chapter in its history, Greenland announced on Friday its intention to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to examine Denmark's forced contraception scheme of indigenous Inuits. This campaign, which took place between the 1960s and 1990s, involved the implantation of contraceptive coils, or intrauterine devices (IUDs), in over 4,000 Greenlandic women without their consent.

Some of these women were as young as 12, and many suffered permanent consequences, preventing them from having children. Greenland's Justice Minister Marianne Paviasen acknowledged that determining whether the scheme constituted "genocide" remains a subject of debate, as experts could not reach a unanimous conclusion. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need to "begin the healing process" and cooperate with the Greenland government on this matter.

The commission, composed of four members, was established in August 2024 to investigate the scheme, which may have violated human rights and the rights of Indigenous peoples. One of the victims, Henriette Berthelsen, expressed her dissatisfaction with the reports, stating that the conclusions were skewed from the start due to the lack of Greenlandic Inuit experts.

The Danish parliament later agreed to provide compensation to women affected by the forced contraception campaign, following Frederiksen's initiative. The case has once again brought to light the trauma experienced by these women, who suffered long-term consequences such as hospitalizations, surgeries, and missed schooling.