20 Greenlandic women seek compensation for forced contraception

Twenty women have so far applied for compensation after being subjected to forced contraception in Greenland, according to reporting by Greenlandic public broadcaster KNR. The applications come less than two weeks after the government opened for women to seek redress for procedures performed without consent after 1992, when Greenland took over responsibility for its own health system. This scheme is separate from the Danish-run IUD campaign of the 1960s and 1970s.

Justice and Equality Minister Naaja H. Nathanielsen (IA) said the women could receive up to 300,000 Danish kroner (43,000 USD) each in compensation.

“This corresponds to what we’ve seen in other cases where a public authority has violated people’s rights. We believe it’s an appropriate amount,” Nathanielsen told KNR.

The scheme follows revelations that several women received contraception without consent in recent decades. A 2024 report from the Office of the Chief Medical Officer identified 15 such cases between 1993 and 2014, but Nathanielsen said the true number may be higher.

“There’s probably a larger number of unreported cases,” she said, adding that if more money is needed, she will seek additional funds from the Inatsisartut, Greenland’s parliament.

The previous government had allocated 4.5 million kroner (640,000 USD) for compensation, enough for 15 women at 300,000 kroner each. But with 20 applications already filed, the current administration expects to request more funds if necessary.

One of the women seeking compensation, Arnaq Knudsen-Frederiksen, told KNR that she discovered an intrauterine device (IUD) in her body five years after a surgical abortion performed when she was 15.

“I don’t think words can describe what I felt afterward—shocked, frightened, sad,” she said.

She has since struggled with chronic pain and infertility. While she believes no amount of money can undo the harm, she said the compensation effort shows some accountability.

“It’s good that they are doing something for us, that they say sorry and give compensation,” Knudsen-Frederiksen said.

Nathanielsen acknowledged that many medical records have been lost or destroyed, but said this will not prevent women from receiving compensation.

“It’s not a requirement that a medical record must clearly show that consent was not given,” she told KNR. “That should not be held against the women.”

Cases will be reviewed by an external panel of legal and medical experts bound by confidentiality to ensure independence from political involvement, the minister said.

Women can apply for compensation until December 31, 2025, and decisions will be issued by February 1, 2026, according to the government website.