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 programme administered by Danish doctors.
We cannot change what has happened. But we can take responsibility, Frederiksen said of the scandal. On behalf of Denmark, I would like to say sorry, she said, acknowledging that victims had experienced both physical and psychological harm.
The scale of the birth-control programme was first brought to light in 2022 by an investigative podcast called Spiralkampagnen - the coil campaign. The device used is commonly known as a coil and is placed inside the womb to prevent pregnancy. Many women have come forward to say they were fitted with an intra-uterine device (IUD) without their knowledge or consent, prompting shock and anger from the community.
Records showed that, between 1966 and 1970, 4,500 women and girls had an IUD implanted, leading to a severe slowdown in Greenland's population growth. A group of women has since filed a lawsuit against the Danish state, seeking compensation for the trauma experienced.
Frederiksen emphasized that the case had caused anger and sadness for many Greenlanders and families, and she acknowledged the need for a formal investigation to ensure nothing like this happens again. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen added that the apology was long overdue, affirming the need for truth and responsibility to be acknowledged for the historical injustices faced by the Inuit people.
We cannot change what has happened. But we can take responsibility, Frederiksen said of the scandal. On behalf of Denmark, I would like to say sorry, she said, acknowledging that victims had experienced both physical and psychological harm.
The scale of the birth-control programme was first brought to light in 2022 by an investigative podcast called Spiralkampagnen - the coil campaign. The device used is commonly known as a coil and is placed inside the womb to prevent pregnancy. Many women have come forward to say they were fitted with an intra-uterine device (IUD) without their knowledge or consent, prompting shock and anger from the community.
Records showed that, between 1966 and 1970, 4,500 women and girls had an IUD implanted, leading to a severe slowdown in Greenland's population growth. A group of women has since filed a lawsuit against the Danish state, seeking compensation for the trauma experienced.
Frederiksen emphasized that the case had caused anger and sadness for many Greenlanders and families, and she acknowledged the need for a formal investigation to ensure nothing like this happens again. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen added that the apology was long overdue, affirming the need for truth and responsibility to be acknowledged for the historical injustices faced by the Inuit people.
