(MENAFN) In a groundbreaking legal action, a group of 143 indigenous women in Greenland has filed a lawsuit against Denmark over an involuntary contraception campaign conducted in the 1960s and 1970s. According to reports from Danish broadcaster DR, the Inuit women allege that Danish health authorities violated their human rights by fitting them with intrauterine contraceptive coil devices. Seeking total compensation of nearly 43 million kroner (USD6.3 million), the women claim they are living proof of the human rights violations they endured.
The lawsuit, filed in response to the lack of response to their compensation request in October, is spearheaded by lawyer Mads Pramming. The legal action involves 67 women, now in their 70s and 80s, who had initially demanded compensation of 300,000 kroner ($44,000) each. The legal proceedings bring to light a dark chapter in Greenland's history, where records, based on data from national archives, revealed that 4,500 indigenous women—half of the fertile women in Greenland—became unwitting participants in the involuntary contraception campaign.
The coil implants, inserted between 1966 and 1970, targeted women and girls as young as 13, often without their consent or knowledge. These small devices, composed of plastic and copper and fitted in the uterus, were designed to impede sperm from fertilizing eggs. The campaign was conducted covertly by Denmark, allegedly aimed at controlling the birth rate in Greenland due to the island's booming population resulting from high living standards and improved healthcare at the time.
The lawsuit brings attention to the significant human rights violations suffered by these women and the broader implications of such state-sponsored interventions. The legal action seeks not only financial compensation but also acknowledgment and accountability for the historical injustices inflicted on the indigenous women of Greenland. As the case unfolds, it prompts a critical examination of ethical considerations surrounding medical interventions, consent, and the responsibility of governments in safeguarding the rights and well-being of their citizens.
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