Indigenous Greenland Women Seek Justice for Forced Contraception

In a historic move, a group of 143 Indigenous women from Greenland has taken legal action against Denmark, seeking compensation for being forcibly fitted with intrauterine contraceptive devices in the 1960s and 70s. These women, alleging human rights violations, demand nearly 43 million kroner ($6.3 million) in total compensation for the coerced medical intervention.

Many of the women, who were teenagers at the time, claim they were not informed about or did not consent to the procedure. The forced contraception program, allegedly aimed at controlling population growth in Greenland, affected thousands of women and girls, representing half of the fertile population in the region during that period. Despite ongoing investigations by Danish and Greenlandic authorities, the women are determined to pursue justice through the courts, emphasizing the urgency of their quest for self-respect and recognition of their rights.