Thousands of Inuit women in Greenland are now eligible for financial compensation due to a long-standing Danish birth control initiative that involuntarily inserted intrauterine devices (IUDs). This compensation has sparked hope among some Inuit women in Canada who have faced similar treatment, as they anticipate an apology from their federal government.
The Danish government recently approved a bill allowing for this compensation, approximately a year after the country’s prime minister expressed regret for the historical birth control program. A joint Greenlandic-Danish inquiry in 2025 revealed that between 1966 and 1991, around 4,000 Greenlandic women and girls, some as young as 12, underwent forced sterilizations, often without their consent.
Naaja Nathanielsen, a Greenlandic parliament member in the Danish government, emphasized that this dark chapter in history continues to impact women throughout the nation today, causing significant trauma. The Danish government’s objective behind the program was to lower birth rates and family sizes on the island.
Under the new legislation, women who received IUDs as part of the program are entitled to a one-time payment of approximately $64,000 CAD. However, some Greenlandic politicians believe the compensation should have been issued sooner, expressing discontent over the delay following the official apology.
In Canada, the recent actions taken by the Danish government are fostering optimism that the federal government may follow suit. For decades, numerous Indigenous women across Canada underwent coerced sterilization, a practice that persisted beyond the 1990s. Reports have documented cases of imposed sterilization in various provinces, with government policies intentionally targeting Indigenous communities to reduce births.
Cecilia Papak, an Inuk woman in Rankin Inlet, shared her experience of being coerced into sterilization in the late 1970s after doctors recommended a hysterectomy. She expressed disappointment with the government’s actions, highlighting the coercive tactics used to limit her ability to have children.
Although the Canadian government has yet to issue a formal apology regarding forced sterilizations on Indigenous women, there have been multiple class-action lawsuits filed against the federal government. The addition of forced and coerced sterilization to the criminal code in June signifies a step towards addressing this injustice.
Qarsoq Høegh-Dam emphasized the importance of mutual learning between Greenland and Canada in addressing the shared injustice of forced sterilization. He underscored the significance of maintaining open communication to navigate this common struggle that has affected both countries.