Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has issued a formal apology for an enforced contraception campaign aimed at regulating the birth rate in Greenland. The program, conducted mainly in the 1960s and 1970s under Danish control of Greenland’s healthcare system, involved inserting intrauterine devices (IUDs) into thousands of young Greenlandic women and girls without their knowledge or consent. These procedures were often carried out without informed consent, with some women receiving the devices after childbirth without being told, while others were unable to understand the procedure due to language barriers.
The revelations have sparked public outrage and renewed calls for accountability, prompting Frederiksen to pledge discussions with Greenland’s government and financial compensation for those affected. An independent inquiry is ongoing, with findings expected in September 2025. In 2024, a group of 143 women, now in their 70s and 80s, filed a lawsuit against Denmark’s Ministry of the Interior and Health over the forced contraception procedures. They are seeking a total of nearly 43 million kroner (approximately $6.3 million) in compensation, according to their lawyer.
Denmark offered public apologies in 2022 to the victims of a 1950s experiment in which children from Greenland were taken to Denmark. The government has expressed willingness to continue discussions with Greenland’s government following the release of a full investigation, including questions of possible financial compensation to the women affected. The prime minister acknowledged that the spiral case is a source of both anger and sorrow for many Greenlanders and many families in Greenland, and emphasized the need to take responsibility for the physical and psychological harm suffered by the victims.