Denmark has reached a parliamentary agreement to compensate Greenlandic women who were subjected to involuntary birth control procedures for decades. The campaign, uncovered in 2022, revealed that thousands of women and girls (some as young as 13) were fitted with IUDs without their knowledge or consent between 1966 and 1991.
Under the new agreement, as per Reuters, each eligible woman will receive 300,000 Danish crowns (around 40,000 euros) through a reconciliation fund. Applicants must prove they lived in Greenland or attended boarding school in Denmark during the relevant period.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Denmark must “take responsibility” after ignoring these abuses for too long. She personally apologized to victims earlier this year, part of a broader effort to repair relations with Greenland. Applications will open in April 2026, with up to 4,500 women potentially eligible. The first compensation payments are expected in the autumn of 2026.
Mette Frederiksen offers personal apology to Greenland women over past birth control practices // Shutterstock