COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - Denmark has reached a significant agreement aimed at compensating thousands of Indigenous women and girls in Greenland over historical cases of forced contraception. These practices were carried out by health authorities from the 1960s onward.
The Danish health ministry announced on Wednesday that women who were subjected to contraception without their knowledge or consent between the years of 1960 and 1991 can apply for individual payouts amounting to 300,000 Danish kroner (approximately $46,000). This compensation process is set to begin in April 2024.
Estimates indicate that around 4,500 women could be eligible for these payouts. Greenland operates as a semiautonomous territory under the Kingdom of Denmark.
Many affected individuals, primarily Inuit women, were subjected to the fitting of intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUDs) or received hormonal birth control injections—often without being informed of the procedures or providing consent. This violation of autonomy raises profound ethical concerns surrounding consent in medical practices.
Health Minister Sophie Lohde expressed the gravity of the situation in her statement, describing the IUD incidents as a "dark chapter" in the shared history of Denmark and Greenland. She emphasized the significant physical and psychological turmoil experienced by the Greenlandic women affected. "Unfortunately, we cannot remove the pain from the women, but compensation helps to acknowledge and apologize for the experiences they have gone through," Lohde stated.
Women eligible for compensation can submit their claims until June 2028. An independent investigation published in September 2023 revealed that over 350 Greenlandic Indigenous women and girls, including some as young as 12 years old, reported being forcibly given contraception by health authorities. The investigation suggests that more than 4,000 women and girls overall may have been impacted by these practices.
This agreement marks a crucial step in addressing historical injustices against Greenlandic women, illuminating broader issues related to reproductive rights and autonomy within Indigenous communities.
