Denmark's prime minister apologizes to Greenland over forced contraception scandal

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen offered a formal apology to Greenland for a birth-control program in the 1960s and 1970s that saw thousands of Inuit women implanted with contraceptive coils without their knowledge or consent.

The apology was delivered to a packed audience in Nuuk, with Frederiksen telling Greenlanders, "Dear women. Dear families. Dear Greenland. Today there is only one right thing to say to you. Sorry." The moment unfolded amid an emotionally charged atmosphere that included a protester with a black handprint across her mouth as the prime minister spoke.

An official inquiry released earlier this month concluded that at least 4,000 Greenlandic women had a coil implanted by 1970, roughly half of the population of childbearing age at the time. In more than 300 cases examined by the inquiry, girls and women as young as 12 were fitted with an intrauterine device without their knowledge or consent. Naja Lyberth, one of the earliest Greenlandic advocates for accountability, received a standing ovation when she spoke at the event and said that an apology would be crucial if the relationship between Denmark and Greenland were to move forward.

"Sorry for the injustice that was committed against you," Frederiksen said. "Because you were Greenlanders. Sorry for what was taken from you. And for the pain it caused. On behalf of Denmark. Sorry." The prime minister acknowledged the trauma and recognized that many women live with long-standing physical complications and, in some cases, an inability to bear children. Elisa Christensen, who listened to Frederiksen’s remarks, told the BBC the moment was overwhelming but added that there had been no mention of compensation, calling it “almost like empty words.”

Ahead of the apology, Frederiksen issued a statement outlining plans to establish a reconciliation fund, though details—such as eligibility and timing—were not disclosed. The government also signaled that payouts could extend to other Greenlanders who had faced what it called failure and systematic discrimination, but concrete parameters remain undecided. Separately, a lawsuit seeking compensation has been filed by a group of 143 women.

Greenland’s historical ties to Denmark provide crucial context for the moment. Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953, then became a county of Denmark before gaining home rule in 1979. Yet Copenhagen continued to oversee the territory’s healthcare system until 1992, when Greenland assumed responsibility. The legacy of medical programs and welfare policy under Danish administration continues to shape perceptions of accountability and reconciliation on the island.

Aviaq Petersen, who was 24 when a gynecologist told her she had an IUD during a routine appointment, is now 59 and believes the device was implanted without her knowledge, during an abortion a decade earlier. Doctors later found scarring on her fallopian tubes, and despite subsequent operations she has not been able to have children. Petersen has pressed for a formal reconciliation process but remained cautious about the timing of the Danish apology.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also spoke during the program. He said, "You were not asked. You had no opportunity to speak out. You were not heard. You were not seen," describing the episode as one of the darkest chapters in the country’s history as the apology unfolded.

Frederiksen’s address comes amid broader scrutiny of Denmark’s relationship with Greenland and amid international attention to Arctic geopolitics, including pressure in recent years from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Greenland’s strategic status. The IUD case is among several historic and ongoing tensions, including forced adoptions and the removal of Inuit children from families after so-called parenting competence tests. Earlier this week, Danish authorities reversed a high-profile case in which a young Greenlandic mother was separated from her newborn daughter just after birth, sparking widespread outrage.

For Elisa Christensen, the official apology has triggered a complicated emotional reaction. She described feeling a sense of validation for the inner child she referred to as needing a sort of acknowledgment, but she added that the real question remains: where are the children and grandchildren she might have had if the policy had not disrupted her life? The emotional arc of the day underscored the deep, lingering impact of the coercive program and the delicate balance between acknowledgment, accountability, and meaningful redress for those affected.

As Greenland and Denmark navigate a fraught period in their relationship, Frederiksen’s remarks represent a formal acknowledgement of a painful chapter and a commitment to investigate and, where possible, compensate. Whether the reconciliation fund will materialize with clear criteria and timely disbursements remains central to how the apology translates into tangible relief for the affected families. In Nuuk, the moment was both a recognition of suffering and a reminder that reconciliation is a process that extends beyond a single ceremony.