Greenland to present report on forced contraceptions
During the 1960s to 1990, more than 4,000 Greenlandic women were forced to wear a contraceptive coil -- or intrauterine device (IUD) -- in the vast majority of cases without their consent or that of their parents if they were minors
A Greenlandic commission is set to unveil a report on Friday, which will explore whether Denmark's forced contraception of thousands of Inuit women during the 1960s and 1990s can be deemed a genocide. This campaign, one of the darkest chapters in Greenland's history, involved giving thousands of women contraceptive coils without their consent.
Parliament member Naaja Nathanielsen announced the commission in August 2024, stating that the inquiry aims to understand the country's history. Greenland, a Danish colony for three centuries and now an autonomous territory, has a complex relationship with Denmark. Despite tensions, both nations have maintained a united front against US President Donald Trump's threats to take over Greenland.
The commission's experts failed to reach an agreement on the investigation's direction, resulting in two reports submitted just six months late. One victim, Henriette Berthelsen, expressed that the conclusions are biased as no Greenlandic Inuit were appointed as experts. The campaign affected girls as young as 12, some of whom could never have children afterward.
The Danish government recently agreed to allow women affected by the campaign to claim compensation, an initiative driven by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen who has apologized for Denmark's actions. The scandal became public in 2022 when a victim spoke out about the trauma she experienced, leading to a podcast series revealing the full extent of the campaign.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Greenland to present report on forced contraceptions thehindu.com
