Current:Home > ScamsDozens of women in Greenland ask Denmark for compensation over forced birth control-InfoLens
Dozens of women in Greenland ask Denmark for compensation over forced birth control
View Date:2024-12-23 15:39:31
A group of 67 women from Greenland on Monday filed claims for compensation from the Danish government for being fitted with intrauterine devices without their consent decades ago.
Many of the women were only teenagers when they received coils or IUDs under a program, discreetly organized by Denmark, set up to limit birth rates in the Arctic territory.
A series of podcasts based on national archives and published in the spring of 2022 by Danish broadcaster DR revealed the scale of the campaign as Denmark and Greenland are re-examining their past relationship. In the 60s and 70s, some 4,500 young Inuit women had IUDs inserted without their consent or that of their families, according to DR's reporting.
The plaintiffs are requesting a reward in kroner equivalent to about $42,000.
Launched last year, a commission examining grievances against the Danish state is due to publish its findings in 2025, but the complainants want recompense before then.
"We don't want to wait for the results of the enquiry," Psychologist Naja Lyberth, who initiated the compensation claim, told AFP. "We are getting older, the oldest of us, who had IUDs inserted in the 1960s, were born in the 1940s and are approaching 80. ... We want to act now."
A large number of women were unaware that they were wearing a contraceptive device and, until recently, Greenlandic gynecologists found IUDs in women who were unaware of their presence, according to Lyberth.
According to her, the government will likely refuse their requests pending the results of the commission — in which case the matter will be taken to court.
"It's already 100 percent clear that the government has broken the law by violating our human rights and causing us serious harm," she added.
While it ceased to be a colony in 1953, Greenland remained under Copenhagen's control. The world's largest island — located in the Arctic some 1,550 miles from Denmark — has its own flag, language, culture, institutions and prime minister. Since the 2009 Self-Government Act, only currency, the justice system and foreign and security affairs fall under Denmark's authority. But it relies heavily on a Danish grant, which makes up a quarter of its GDP and more than half its public budget.
In 2022, Denmark apologized and paid compensation to six Inuit who were taken from their families in the 1950s to take part in an experiment to build a Danish-speaking elite in the Arctic territory.
- In:
- Denmark
- Birth Control
veryGood! (64)
Related
- 'Heretic' spoilers! Hugh Grant spills on his horror villain's fears and fate
- El Salvador electoral tribunal approves Bukele’s bid for reelection
- What sodas do and don't have BVO? What to know about additive FDA wants to ban
- War in the Middle East upends the dynamics of 2024 House Democratic primaries
- Candidates line up for special elections to replace Virginia senators recently elected to US House
- Israel’s encirclement of Gaza City tightens as top US diplomat arrives to push for humanitarian aid
- Justice Department ends probe into police beating of man during traffic stop in Florida
- Woman reported missing found stabbed to death at Boston airport, suspect sought in Kenya
- Britney Spears reunites with son Jayden, 18, after kids moved in with dad Kevin Federline
- For some people with student loans, resuming payments means turning to GoFundMe
Ranking
- Ben Affleck and His Son Samuel, 12, Enjoy a Rare Night Out Together
- Stock market today: Asian shares follow Wall St higher on hopes for an end to Fed rate hikes
- The FDA proposes banning a food additive that's been used for a century
- Indiana high court reprimands AG for remarks about 10-year-old rape victim's doctor
- Video shows masked man’s apparent attempt to kidnap child in NYC; suspect arrested
- Kate Spade Flash Deal: Get This $459 Shearling Tote for Just $137
- NASA spacecraft discovers tiny moon around asteroid during close flyby
- Pilates is great for strength and flexibility, but does it help you lose weight?
Recommendation
-
World War II veteran reflects on life as he turns 100
-
Deshaun Watson scheduled to start for Browns at quarterback against Cardinals
-
Amazon founder billionaire Jeff Bezos announced he's leaving Seattle, moving to Miami
-
UN officials says the average Gazan is living on two pieces of bread a day, and people need water
-
Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul stirs debate: Is this a legitimate fight?
-
'Golden Bachelor' Episode 6 recap: Gerry Turner finds love, more pain from three hometowns
-
‘Free Solo’ filmmakers dive into fiction with thrilling swim drama ‘Nyad’
-
Jessica Simpson Celebrates 6 Years of Sobriety With Moving Throwback Message