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 said of the scandal. She added, On behalf of Denmark, I would like to say sorry, acknowledging that victims had experienced both physical and psychological harm.
The scale of the birth-control program was first brought to light in 2022 by an investigative podcast called Spiralkampagnen - the coil campaign. The device used, commonly known as a coil, was placed inside the womb to prevent pregnancy, reportedly without the knowledge or consent of many women.
Records from national archives showed that between 1966 and 1970, 4,500 women and girls, some as young as 13, had an IUD implanted. The enormity of these practices has led to a group of 143 women filing a lawsuit against the Danish state demanding compensation.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen stated that while his government also recognizes its responsibility, an official apology from Denmark was long overdue. For too long, the victims... have been silenced to death. It's sad that an apology only comes now - it’s too late and too bad, he said.
Frederiksen’s apology has sparked discussions about the historical context of these practices within Denmark’s treatment of Greenland, including forced adoptions and other colonial legacies. The acknowledgment of the abuses aims to foster a new dialogue on the relationship between Denmark and Greenland as both governments look to investigate further and ensure accountability for the past.
