Medicine & healthcare

Denmark Apologizes for Forced Contraception in Greenland

Published AUG 28 2025

Story

Above: Naja Lyberth, survivor of the IUD campaign, poses for a picture in Nuuk, Greenland on Aug. 30, 2024. Image credit: James Brooks/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen apologized Wednesday for the forced contraception campaign that affected approximately 4,500 Greenlandic women and girls between the 1960s and 1992, describing it as systemic discrimination by the Danish healthcare system.
Toronto Sun
guardian
Firstpost
Danish authorities fitted intrauterine devices in around half of Greenland's fertile women during this period without their consent or knowledge, with many victims being teenagers as young as 12 or 13 years old at the time of the procedures.
The Australian
guardian
With improvements in living conditions and healthcare driving a surge in Greenland's population at the time, the campaign allegedly sought to counter this by preventing pregnancies.
The Washington Post
Toronto Sun
Nearly 150 Inuit women sued Denmark last year and filed compensation claims against its health ministry for 43 million Danish kroner, alleging violations of their human rights through the forced contraceptive procedures.
Toronto Sun
guardian
BBC News
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also apologized for cases that occurred after 1992 when Greenland took control of its healthcare system, and announced plans to award compensation to victims through a scheme that has been in development since January.
The Washington Post
guardian
European Conservative
The joint apology comes ahead of an investigation report expected in September, while Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953 and only gained home rule in 1979, becoming a self-governing entity 30 years later.
Toronto Sun
guardian

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

This apology represents a crucial step toward healing historical wounds and repairing Denmark-Greenland relations. The acknowledgment of systematic discrimination validates decades of suffering experienced by Indigenous women. Compensation discussions show genuine commitment to making amends.

The Washington Post

BBC News

Narrative B

While the apology is welcomed, it comes far too late for victims who have suffered for decades without recognition. Legal responsibility and adequate compensation remain unresolved, making this gesture potentially hollow without concrete action.

The Australian