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Denmark apologizes for abuse of Greenlandic indigenous women

DW News · Just In
DW News
DW News
Just In

In the 1960s and '70s, Danish doctors fitted Greenlandic women with contraceptives in a campaign allegedly aimed at curbing population growth in the former colony. One Inuit woman told DW that the trauma of forced birth control as a teenager has shadowed her entire life.

Breakdown
  • Danish doctors forcibly inserted IUDs into thousands of Greenlandic Inuit women without consent. 38s
  • The program was implemented in response to concerns about population growth in Greenland. 47s
  • Many women suffered lifelong health problems and trauma as a result. 51s
  • Denmark's Prime Minister issued an official apology, but some victims feel it is not enough. 54s
  • 143 Greenlandic women are suing Denmark for compensation over the forced procedures. 1m 26s
Women's Rights