The DR podcast "The IUD Campaign" uncovers how thousands of girls and women in Greenland had IUDs installed from 1966 to 1975 as part of the Danish authorities' strategy to reduce Greenland's population growth. According to DR, 4,500 spirals were set up from 1966 to 1970. At that time, there were 9,000 fertile women in Greenland. Several women say that the IUDs were forced and that they experienced it as an assault.
Naja Lyberth was the first to speak out about having an involuntary IUD in the 1960s. Here she is speaking at a demonstration in Nuuk in June 2023. The demonstration was held in connection with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's (S) visit to Greenland. Photo: Liv Almer / KNR
The government of Greenland (Naalakkersuisut) and the Danish government agreed in September 2022 to initiate an investigation into the spiral case. The investigation will uncover the historical context for pregnancy prevention practices in Greenland from 1960 to 1991, including the spiral case. Greenland took over the health sector in 1992. The investigation is expected to be ready in May 2025.
In October 2023, 67 women from the spiral case allied themselves with lawyer Mads Pramming from Ehmer Pramming Advokater and demanded an apology and compensation from the Danish state. In March 2024, the number of women demanding compensation has now grown to 143 women, each demanding DKK 300,000 ($ 43 455) in compensation.
A new team of experts must now investigate whether there has been a violation of human rights in the spiral case, and whether the thousands of spiral suspensions can be described as genocide.
Below you can read an overview of what has happened in the spiral case since the case started. The DR podcast "The IUD Campaign", published in May 2022, revealed how thousands of girls and women had IUDs installed in Greenland in the 1960s and 70s. In the podcast, several women come forward and tell how they have involuntarily had IUDs installed by Danish doctors up to the age of 14.
The spirals were much larger than the ones we know today, and have had major psychological and physical consequences for several of the women. According to DR, the spirals were part of the Danish authorities' strategy to reduce Greenland's population growth, which at the time was one of the highest in the world. From 1966, when the strategy was initiated, until 1970, 4,500 spirals were set up. At that time, there were well over 9,000 fertile girls and women. The strategy ran until 1975.
The spiral case has caused strong reactions both from Greenlandic citizens and politicians, who call it "shocking", "cruel", "terrible". Several politicians believe that this was a genocidal practice. At the spring assembly in 2022, the parties unanimously agree that an investigation of the spiral case must be carried out.
At the same time, the government of Greenland announced that women involved in the spiral case can get free psychological help.
In September 2022, the government of Greenland and the Danish government agreed to initiate the investigation. But just over nine months later, chairman of the government of Greenland, Muté B. Egede, criticized the Danish government for delaying the investigation.
This has speeded things up, and in May 2023 the impartial investigation was launched. The investigation must examine the historical context for the spiral case from 1960 to 1991, when Greenland took over responsibility for the health area. This includes the concrete implementation of spiral setups both for girls and women in this country and for Greenlandic girls who were enrolled in Danish post-secondary schools. The investigation is expected to be completed in May 2025 and is financed by the Danish state.
On the Women's Day of Struggle on 8 March 2024, several women took to the streets to focus on the spiral issue. Photo: KNR / Johasinnguaq Olsen
In October 2023, 67 women from the spiral case demanded DKK 300,000 each in compensation from the Danish state for violations of their human rights. The women are represented by lawyer Mads Pramming from Ehmer Pramming Advokater. The Danish state hasn't ruled on the compensation claim yet.
Barely half a year later, by March 2024, 143 women were suing the Danish state. This means that the total compensation claim is almost DKK 43 million. The women are waiting to get their case before the court.
In July 2024, there was a trouble with the spiral case investigation. A mid-term report revealed that the Greenlandic health management has withdrawn the permission to use the case material in the health care system. This has been done for the sake of citizens' privacy and personal data in the patient records.
The material had to be used to uncover how the healthcare system in the period 1960 to 1991 handled the then practice of IUDs.
In October 2024, Minister for Equality of the government of Greenland, Naaja H. Nathanielsen, who is in charge of the spiral case for the government, announced that a solution to the blockage had been found.
A solution has been found, where the research group has gained access to the areas where there are records, and they have been able to photograph the material, so that they can get an idea of how much material there is lies all around, said Naaja H. Nathanielsen to KNR.
Research leader in the spiral investigation, Tenna Jensen, confirmed that the researchers have gained access to parts of the material. She stated that the research group is in the process of making applications for the last material.
In August 2024, the government of Greenland launched another investigation into the spiral case. The new study is funded by the government of Greenland and aims to examine the legal issues in the spiral case including, which violations of human rights the women in question have been exposed to.
According to Naaja H. Nathanielsen, it was originally the government of Greenland's wish that these questions be answered in the ongoing spiral investigation. But it was then rejected by the Danish government, she told KNR. The investigation must also focus on the cases of involuntary contraceptive treatment that occurred after 1992. It is expected to be completed in May 2025 – at the same time as the spiral investigation.
Arnaq Knudsen-Frederiksen (left), Emma Kuko (centre) and Anna Jørgensen (right) are three of the women who have had an involuntary spiral in recent times. The latest example is Emma Kuko, who discovered in 2019 that she had an IUD. It was allegedly set up in connection with a surgical abortion in 2010. Photo: Johansinnguaq Olsen / KNR
The involuntary spiral setups are also going to pull strings today. Because in December 2022, several women told the British media BBC that they have also had contraception installed without consent in the 1990s and right up to today.
A report from the National Medical Association from March 2024 showed that the NMA is aware of 15 cases of involuntary contraceptive installation in the period 1993 to 2014, and 13 of the women say that they have had an IUD installed in connection with a surgical abortion.
Both several of the affected women and politicians have demanded that the self-government issue an apology to the women. According to Naaja H. Nathanielsen, the government of Greenland will await the investigation of the human rights aspects of the spiral case.
Source: KNR
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