Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has issued a long-awaited apology to the Greenlandic women and their families affected by what she called systematic discrimination during a contraceptive campaign.
During the 1960s and 70s thousands of Inuit women and girls as young as 12 were fitted with contraceptive devices, as part of a birth-control programme administered by Danish doctors.
We cannot change what has happened. But we can take responsibility, Frederiksen said of the scandal.
On behalf of Denmark, I would like to say sorry, she said, acknowledging that victims had experienced both physical and psychological harm.
The scale of the birth-control programme was first brought to light in 2022, by an investigative podcast called Spiralkampagnen - the coil campaign.
The device used is commonly known as a coil and is placed inside the womb, or uterus, to prevent pregnancy.
In recent years, many women came forward to report they were fitted with an intra-uterine device (IUD) without their knowledge or consent. Few had previously been aware of the contraceptive campaign, and the exposure ignited significant public outrage.
Records from national archives indicate that between 1966 and 1970, 4,500 women and girls had an IUD implanted without clear documentation of consent. This led to a drastic slowdown of Greenland's population growth.
Henriette Berthelsen, one victim, expressed relief at the apology despite its late arrival. Other activists and legal representatives are calling for continued efforts to address the injustices faced, including compensation for the affected women.
As Denmark aims to tackle the historical injustices associated with its colonial past, this apology is a significant step towards healing and restitution.
