Greenland women ask Denmark for compensation over involuntary birth control.

A Greenland woman’s lawyer suggested Denmark compensate her for a 1960s involuntary birth control effort. Some of the ladies are in their 70s and 80s. Therefore, the group is demanding compensation now before a formal probe by Greenland and Denmark is anticipated in May 2025.

The women seeking compensation asked Reuters, “What do we need it for when we clearly know that there have been violations of the law and human rights?” Naja Lyberth said.

A year ago, Danish broadcaster DR revealed that 4,500 intrauterine devices were implanted in 13-year-old girls and women without consent between 1966 and 1970.

Between 1960 and 1991, when Greenland took over its healthcare system, the Danish and Greenland governments hired a team of academics to investigate the instances and decision-making processes that led to the campaign. Legal representative Mads Pramming told Reuters that the ladies want 300,000 Danish crowns ($42,380) each.

The women’s lawsuit was forwarded to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s office on Monday. A request for comment from the prime minister’s office was ignored.

The 57,000-person Greenland is a semi-sovereign region of Denmark after being a colony until 1953. Recently, Danish authorities have been accused of mistreating its former colony.

In 1950, Denmark took Greenland children for an experiment. Last year, it apologized to the victims.