🔗 Share this article Greenlandic Women Secure Legal Victory over Battle with the Danish State over Coerced IUD Scandal. Survivors from a past program in which thousands of Inuit females, some minors reportedly were forcibly fitted using intrauterine devices (IUDs) absent informed permission have claimed victory following their court battle against the Danish government. It has been confirmed the women will be eligible for compensation from a reconciliation package. Government Settlement Reached Folketinget, and state authorities, reached an agreement granting an estimated four thousand five hundred affected individuals the right to seek kr. 300,000 (£35,000) per person. This decision follows a lengthy battle by a group of women that initiated legal proceedings demanding compensation for the pain and suffering they experienced, which they said constituted a violation of their personal rights. Historical Background Denmark ruled Greenland as a colony for decades maintaining control of the island's healthcare system into the late 20th century. In September, after years where it did not acknowledge these actions, Denmark issued a formal official apology. The country's leader apologized for the “institutional prejudice” against Greenlandic females within the state medical apparatus. “It has had major impacts for the Greenlandic women who have experienced not only physical but also psychological harm,” stated the government minister. Redress Process Details The health ministry stated that women who were given the procedure without their knowledge or consent between 1960 and 1991 can apply for compensation starting next year. Relevant legislation will come into force in June. According to the findings of an impartial inquiry of contraceptive practices from that era, an estimated four and a half thousand individuals may be eligible for the fund. For eligibility, the women must: Provide a “plausible account” of the incident. Have lived in Greenland throughout the qualifying period. State on oath that they had no awareness or consent for the procedure. Voices from the Survivors A plaintiffs, recalling being 14 when she was told to go to the hospital without explanation, described it as feeling an assault. “Speaking out publicly to the media proved successful,” she stated. “It began two years ago and now a relatively short time we got an apology and financial acknowledgment.” Another voice shared happiness, stating, “We are happy. Like my mother said: it's a victory.” Although there is a view the amount could have been greater, they expressed relief over the acknowledgment of past events. Official Reactions A Greenlandic official described the settlement as “well past due”. She emphasized, “This isn't about the money. It is about recognition of the injury and the profound implications.” A Danish health minister conceded these events was a “troubling period in our joint past”, noting that compensation “cannot remove the suffering for survivors” yet it “helps to recognize and apologise for what they endured.”
Survivors from a past program in which thousands of Inuit females, some minors reportedly were forcibly fitted using intrauterine devices (IUDs) absent informed permission have claimed victory following their court battle against the Danish government. It has been confirmed the women will be eligible for compensation from a reconciliation package. Government Settlement Reached Folketinget, and state authorities, reached an agreement granting an estimated four thousand five hundred affected individuals the right to seek kr. 300,000 (£35,000) per person. This decision follows a lengthy battle by a group of women that initiated legal proceedings demanding compensation for the pain and suffering they experienced, which they said constituted a violation of their personal rights. Historical Background Denmark ruled Greenland as a colony for decades maintaining control of the island's healthcare system into the late 20th century. In September, after years where it did not acknowledge these actions, Denmark issued a formal official apology. The country's leader apologized for the “institutional prejudice” against Greenlandic females within the state medical apparatus. “It has had major impacts for the Greenlandic women who have experienced not only physical but also psychological harm,” stated the government minister. Redress Process Details The health ministry stated that women who were given the procedure without their knowledge or consent between 1960 and 1991 can apply for compensation starting next year. Relevant legislation will come into force in June. According to the findings of an impartial inquiry of contraceptive practices from that era, an estimated four and a half thousand individuals may be eligible for the fund. For eligibility, the women must: Provide a “plausible account” of the incident. Have lived in Greenland throughout the qualifying period. State on oath that they had no awareness or consent for the procedure. Voices from the Survivors A plaintiffs, recalling being 14 when she was told to go to the hospital without explanation, described it as feeling an assault. “Speaking out publicly to the media proved successful,” she stated. “It began two years ago and now a relatively short time we got an apology and financial acknowledgment.” Another voice shared happiness, stating, “We are happy. Like my mother said: it's a victory.” Although there is a view the amount could have been greater, they expressed relief over the acknowledgment of past events. Official Reactions A Greenlandic official described the settlement as “well past due”. She emphasized, “This isn't about the money. It is about recognition of the injury and the profound implications.” A Danish health minister conceded these events was a “troubling period in our joint past”, noting that compensation “cannot remove the suffering for survivors” yet it “helps to recognize and apologise for what they endured.”