🔗 Share this article Greenlandic Females Claim Legal Triumph over Struggle against the Danish State over Forced IUD Affair. Victims from a past program where thousands of Inuit women and girls reportedly were covertly implanted using intrauterine devices (IUDs) without their knowledge or consent are declaring a win in their legal fight against the Danish government. Officials have announced the women will be eligible for compensation from a settlement package. Government Agreement Finalized Folketinget, along with state authorities, reached an agreement granting an estimated 4,500 affected individuals the right to seek kr. 300,000 (£35,000) each. The decision follows a lengthy battle by 143 women who initiated legal proceedings seeking damages for the pain and suffering they had endured, arguing it was a breach of their human rights. Historical Background The Danish state administered the territory under colonial rule for decades maintaining authority over the island's medical services until 1992. In September, following a long period where it did not acknowledge the violations, the government made an expression of regret. The prime minister apologized for the “institutional prejudice” targeting Greenlandic females within the state medical apparatus. “It has had significant impacts on the Greenlandic women who suffered not only physical and psychological harm,” said a government minister. Redress Procedure Details The health ministry stated those who were given the procedure without their knowledge or consent during a thirty-one year period would be able to seek payment starting next year. The law is set to be enacted by mid-year. Based on results of an impartial inquiry into contraceptive practices from that era, an estimated four and a half thousand women may be eligible for the fund. To qualify, applicants will need to: Submit a “plausible account” of the incident. Have lived on the island throughout the qualifying period. Declare under oath that they had no knowledge nor gave permission for the procedure. Voices of Survivors A plaintiffs, who was fourteen when she was told to report to the hospital for no clear reason, said the experience like an assault. “Our activism as speakers and interviewees has been effective,” she stated. “It began two years ago resulting in within three years we have secured an official apology plus compensation.” A different voice expressed satisfaction, stating, “This is a positive outcome. Like my mother said: we won.” While some believe the amount should have been higher, there is relief over the recognition of past events. Ministerial Responses An Inuit official described the settlement as “long overdue”. Stating clearly, “This isn't about the money. It concerns recognition of the hurt and its profound consequences.” The relevant health minister conceded the scandal was a “dark chapter within the joint past”, noting while redress “cannot remove the pain for survivors” but it “helps to recognize and apologise for the experiences.”
Victims from a past program where thousands of Inuit women and girls reportedly were covertly implanted using intrauterine devices (IUDs) without their knowledge or consent are declaring a win in their legal fight against the Danish government. Officials have announced the women will be eligible for compensation from a settlement package. Government Agreement Finalized Folketinget, along with state authorities, reached an agreement granting an estimated 4,500 affected individuals the right to seek kr. 300,000 (£35,000) each. The decision follows a lengthy battle by 143 women who initiated legal proceedings seeking damages for the pain and suffering they had endured, arguing it was a breach of their human rights. Historical Background The Danish state administered the territory under colonial rule for decades maintaining authority over the island's medical services until 1992. In September, following a long period where it did not acknowledge the violations, the government made an expression of regret. The prime minister apologized for the “institutional prejudice” targeting Greenlandic females within the state medical apparatus. “It has had significant impacts on the Greenlandic women who suffered not only physical and psychological harm,” said a government minister. Redress Procedure Details The health ministry stated those who were given the procedure without their knowledge or consent during a thirty-one year period would be able to seek payment starting next year. The law is set to be enacted by mid-year. Based on results of an impartial inquiry into contraceptive practices from that era, an estimated four and a half thousand women may be eligible for the fund. To qualify, applicants will need to: Submit a “plausible account” of the incident. Have lived on the island throughout the qualifying period. Declare under oath that they had no knowledge nor gave permission for the procedure. Voices of Survivors A plaintiffs, who was fourteen when she was told to report to the hospital for no clear reason, said the experience like an assault. “Our activism as speakers and interviewees has been effective,” she stated. “It began two years ago resulting in within three years we have secured an official apology plus compensation.” A different voice expressed satisfaction, stating, “This is a positive outcome. Like my mother said: we won.” While some believe the amount should have been higher, there is relief over the recognition of past events. Ministerial Responses An Inuit official described the settlement as “long overdue”. Stating clearly, “This isn't about the money. It concerns recognition of the hurt and its profound consequences.” The relevant health minister conceded the scandal was a “dark chapter within the joint past”, noting while redress “cannot remove the pain for survivors” but it “helps to recognize and apologise for the experiences.”