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 program administered by Danish doctors. 'We cannot change what has happened. But we can take responsibility,' Frederiksen emphasized, acknowledging the physical and psychological harm many experienced. The scale of the birth-control program was first brought to light by the podcast 'Spiralkampagnen' in 2022. Some women reported being fitted with intra-uterine devices (IUDs) without their knowledge or consent, leading to outrage and demands for accountability. A group of 143 women have filed a lawsuit against the Danish state for compensation. Frederiksen alluded to the harm caused and hinted at potential legislative changes to ensure such violations do not recur in the future. This incident is one of many that highlight the ongoing challenges in the relationship between Denmark and Greenland, including historical issues of forced adoptions and the removal of Indigenous children.
Denmark Apologizes to Inuit Women in Greenland for Forced Contraception
Denmark Apologizes to Inuit Women in Greenland for Forced Contraception
In a historic move, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has issued an apology for the systematic discrimination against Indigenous women during a controversial birth control campaign.
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has formally apologized to Greenlandic women who were subjected to a controversial birth control program in the 1960s and 70s, which involved doctors fitting contraceptive devices without consent. This acknowledgment comes as an investigation reveals the extensive impact of these actions, which affected thousands of women and has sparked a broader conversation about human rights and colonial attitudes.
