Greenlandic women sue Danish state over historical contraceptive ‘violation’

Dozens of Greenlandic women who say they were fitted with the contraceptive coil without their consent or knowledge are suing the Danish state.

The group of 67 women, some of whom were as young as 13 when they say they were fitted with an IUD by Danish doctors in an attempt to reduce Greenland’s population, are among the 4,500 women and girls affected between 1966 and 1970.

The women are each suing the state for 300,000 Danish kroner (£35,000) for what they say was a “violation” that has had major consequences on their lives.

Naja Lyberth, who was the first woman to come forward six years ago to say that she had been fitted with a coil during a school medical examination as a young teenager without her consent, accused the state of concerted sterilisation.

“We had an IUD inserted without knowing it, and in that way we have been sterilised over a shorter or longer time,” the psychologist and women’s activist told Danish broadcaster DR.

There was also very poor aftercare, she said, leaving many in severe pain and some infertile.

“Many of us went to the doctor with pain, internal bleeding and abdominal infections, and it was not taken seriously. For several, it has ended with them having their uterus removed, losing the ability to have children or having other physical late effects.”

Despite Lyberth sharing her story publicly, it took several years for the scandal to attract mainstream attention in Denmark. It wasn’t until the release of a podcast series by the Danish public broadcaster that the issue started to gain political traction.

Earlier this year, the Danish state and Naalakkersuisut, the Greenlandic government, launched an impartial investigation into the coil case and other pregnancy prevention practices carried out in Greenland between 1960 and 1991, when the autonomous territory took back control of its health sector.

The investigation is due to report in May 2025.

Lyberth, who had difficulty getting pregnant but had a son at 35, said women should not have to wait that long for compensation for the suffering they have been forced to undergo. “We have not been treated equally by the commonwealth.”

If the government does not take their demands seriously, she added: “We will meet in court.”

To have their suffering recognised by the government would be a significant “first step in healing what has happened”.

Denmark’s minister for health and the interior, Sophie Løhde, told DR: “It is a deeply unhappy case, and the women’s stories make a big impression on me. It is important that we get to the bottom of what happened, and therefore a research team is currently conducting an impartial investigation.”