Denmark, Greenland Apologize for Forcible Contraception of 350 Indigenous Women

An independent investigation revealed that over 350 Greenlandic Indigenous women and girls, some as young as 12, were forcibly given contraception by Danish health authorities between the 1960s and 1991 without their consent. The victims, many teenagers at the time, were fitted with intrauterine devices or given hormonal injections, often without being informed of the procedures, causing physical and emotional trauma. Both the Danish and Greenland governments issued official apologies last month for their roles in these coercive practices, which aimed to limit population growth on the island amid rapidly improving living conditions. Nearly 150 Inuit women have sued Denmark, seeking compensation for human rights violations. The report comes amid renewed international attention on Greenland, as U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in asserting U.S. jurisdiction over the strategically important Arctic island, a move firmly rejected by Denmark and Greenland leaders. Greenland took over its own healthcare programs in 1992, marking an end to Danish control over such policies.