🔗 Share this article Greenlandic Women Claim Judicial Victory over Battle with Denmark over Forced Contraceptive Coil Affair. Survivors from a historical program in which thousands comprising Inuit females, some minors reportedly were covertly implanted with intrauterine devices (IUDs) absent informed permission are declaring victory following their legal fight against Copenhagen. It has been confirmed that they will be entitled to compensation from a reconciliation package. Parliamentary Agreement Finalized Folketinget, along with the government, finalized a deal that entitles an estimated 4,500 affected individuals to claim 300,000 DKK (£35,000) per person. This announcement follows a three-year battle led by a group of women that filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for the trauma and distress they had endured, which they said was a violation of their human rights. Historical Background The Danish state ruled Greenland under colonial rule until 1953 and retained authority over the island's medical services until 1992. Earlier this year, after years of failing to address the violations, Denmark made an expression of regret. The prime minister expressed sorrow for the “institutional prejudice” against Greenlandic females within the Danish healthcare system. “It has had significant consequences on the affected women who suffered not only bodily but also mental trauma,” stated the senior official. Compensation Procedure Details The health ministry stated that women subjected to contraception without their knowledge or consent between 1960 and 1991 would be able to apply for compensation from April 2026. Relevant legislation is set to be enacted in June. Based on results of an independent investigation into medical procedures during that time, an estimated four and a half thousand women are potentially entitled to compensation. For eligibility, applicants must: Submit a “credible report” of the incident. Demonstrate they resided on the island throughout the qualifying period. State under oath that they possessed no awareness or consent for it to occur. Voices of Survivors One of the plaintiffs, recalling being 14 when she was told to go to the hospital without explanation, said the experience as feeling a violation. “Our activism as speakers and interviewees has been effective,” she stated. “It began in 2022 and now a relatively short time we have secured an official apology plus financial acknowledgment.” A different voice expressed happiness, stating, “This is a positive outcome. Like my mother said: we won.” Although some believe the compensation should have been greater, there is contentment over the acknowledgment of what happened. Official Reactions An Inuit official called the settlement being “well past due”. She emphasized, “This isn't about the money. It concerns formal acknowledgment of the hurt and the profound implications.” The relevant health minister acknowledged the scandal represent a “dark chapter within the joint past”, adding while redress “cannot remove the pain for survivors” but it “serves to recognize and express regret over what they endured.”
Survivors from a historical program in which thousands comprising Inuit females, some minors reportedly were covertly implanted with intrauterine devices (IUDs) absent informed permission are declaring victory following their legal fight against Copenhagen. It has been confirmed that they will be entitled to compensation from a reconciliation package. Parliamentary Agreement Finalized Folketinget, along with the government, finalized a deal that entitles an estimated 4,500 affected individuals to claim 300,000 DKK (£35,000) per person. This announcement follows a three-year battle led by a group of women that filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for the trauma and distress they had endured, which they said was a violation of their human rights. Historical Background The Danish state ruled Greenland under colonial rule until 1953 and retained authority over the island's medical services until 1992. Earlier this year, after years of failing to address the violations, Denmark made an expression of regret. The prime minister expressed sorrow for the “institutional prejudice” against Greenlandic females within the Danish healthcare system. “It has had significant consequences on the affected women who suffered not only bodily but also mental trauma,” stated the senior official. Compensation Procedure Details The health ministry stated that women subjected to contraception without their knowledge or consent between 1960 and 1991 would be able to apply for compensation from April 2026. Relevant legislation is set to be enacted in June. Based on results of an independent investigation into medical procedures during that time, an estimated four and a half thousand women are potentially entitled to compensation. For eligibility, applicants must: Submit a “credible report” of the incident. Demonstrate they resided on the island throughout the qualifying period. State under oath that they possessed no awareness or consent for it to occur. Voices of Survivors One of the plaintiffs, recalling being 14 when she was told to go to the hospital without explanation, said the experience as feeling a violation. “Our activism as speakers and interviewees has been effective,” she stated. “It began in 2022 and now a relatively short time we have secured an official apology plus financial acknowledgment.” A different voice expressed happiness, stating, “This is a positive outcome. Like my mother said: we won.” Although some believe the compensation should have been greater, there is contentment over the acknowledgment of what happened. Official Reactions An Inuit official called the settlement being “well past due”. She emphasized, “This isn't about the money. It concerns formal acknowledgment of the hurt and the profound implications.” The relevant health minister acknowledged the scandal represent a “dark chapter within the joint past”, adding while redress “cannot remove the pain for survivors” but it “serves to recognize and express regret over what they endured.”