15 women who have involuntarily had IUDs installed in Greenland after 1991 will receive an apology and a financial band-aid, the Greenland Government has announced. This means Greenland is reacting much faster than politicians in Denmark.
Demonstration for IUD victims in Nuuk on International Women's Day on March 8. Photo: KNR / Johasinnguaq Olsen
The most important thing here is to say sorry to the women. We are now doing this by acknowledging that they have been treated unacceptably.
This is what Erik Jensen, who is the Minister of Finance of Greenland and chairman of the Siumut (Forward) Party, says.
Together with the Greenland Government, he has had 4.5 million kroner included in the Finance Act for next year. They will be used to compensate women who have had IUDs inserted into their vaginas – or other contraceptives – without consent after 1991.
Greenland took over the health service itself in January 1992. So it is women who have been forced to use contraception while Greenland itself has been responsible who can now look forward to compensation.
To be precise, they can look forward to 300,000 kroner each ($ 42 386), because the National Medical Board has identified 15 cases. More may appear, and if that happens, Erik Jensen is prepared to pay them compensation too.
The investigation into the case in Denmark will not be completed until September next year. Nevertheless, the Greenland Government has chosen to act quickly and earmark money for compensation already now. In Denmark, politicians have a different opinion: They are waiting for an investigation into the case where women were given forced contraception when Denmark was responsible for the health care system in Greenland to be completed.
Erik Jensen is the Minister of Finance of Greenland and Chairman of Siumut. Photo: KNR / Rasmus Mads Olsvig
Erik Jensen says:
It is first and foremost a message to the women that we will not accept the way they have been treated. It is also a message to the state, which we believe should act on it.
The compensation also puts a strong emphasis on the fact that Greenland has committed abuses with contraception against women.
The waiting politicians in Denmark have been allowed to feel the frustration of women who were given forced contraception before 1992.
In March this year, 143 women sued the Danish state and each demanded 300,000 kroner in compensation for violations of human rights. This is exactly the same amount that Greenland will now spend.
The largest was launched in May 2023, and it examines the extent of IUD insertions from 1960 to 1991. A team of both Danish and Greenlandic researchers is investigating how IUD insertions on both girls and women in this country took place. They are also investigating forced contraception on Greenlandic girls who attended Danish continuing education schools in those years.
Greenlandic government and the Danish government have agreed to conduct the study, and it is expected to be completed in May 2025. The Danish state will pay for the study.
The second investigation was started only by the Greenlandic Government in August 2024. It focuses on the new cases of involuntary IUDs after 1992 – and it is in the at least 15 cases that Siumut and Inuit Ataqatigiit will provide 4.5 million kroner in compensation.
The second investigation goes into depth about the human rights violations the women have been subjected to. It is expected to be completed in May 2025 – at the same time as the IUD investigation.
Naja Lyberth, spokesperson for the women, told KNR at the time:
The government could have reacted a little faster, but they are stalling.The oldest of us are over 80 years old, and therefore we cannot wait any longer. As long as we live, we want to regain our self-respect and respect for our wombs. There is no government that should decide whether we should have children or not.
The claim for compensation from Denmark has ended up in court, but that is not how it seems to be going in Greenland.
I will not comment on how Denmark handles it. That is up to them. But in Greenland we show that we do not accept that women are treated in that way. We hope to be seen as role models because we take responsibility for the fact that the women have experienced something unacceptable.
We hope that the state will realize that the treatments that have taken place cannot be accepted, says Erik Jensen.
According to Erik Jensen, the women have already been exposed to enough pain by the Greenlandic authorities. Therefore, he believes that it is time for Greenland to take responsibility.
Women who have been given an IUD without consent must receive an apology and financial compensation, he says.
Source: Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa
Read also (in Danish): Breach of human rights and possible genocide? This must now be investigated in the IUD case
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