Forced Birth Control on Greenlandic Women During Colonial Era — Danish Prime Minister Issues Apology | WPN World People News

According to media reports, between the 1960s and 1970s, the Danish government forcibly inserted intrauterine devices (IUDs) into 4,500 Greenlandic girls and women in an effort to control the population of Greenland. The procedure left some women infertile for life. On September 24, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued a formal public apology to the women affected and pledged financial compensation to the victims.

Frederiksen traveled to Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, where she stated that the Danish government openly acknowledges its wrongdoing. She affirmed that Greenlanders deserve the same human rights as all Danish citizens. She expressed regret for everything that was taken from the victims, and for the pain and suffering they endured.

Former Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte B. Egede criticized the Danish government, saying that if it weren’t for growing interest and pressure from the United States regarding Greenland, Denmark would not have acted so swiftly.

The report also noted that forced birth control was just one part of Denmark’s broader population policy toward Greenland at the time. Other policies included removing Inuit children from their families and placing them in Danish foster homes for re-education — practices that led to the forced separation of Greenlandic families.

Greenland was once a Danish colony. In 1953, it became an official province of Denmark, gained home rule in 1979, and became a self-governing territory 30 years later.