Greenland to Establish Truth Commission on Forced Contraceptive Scheme

Greenland is establishing a truth and reconciliation commission to address a forced contraceptive scheme that affected Indigenous girls and women from the 1960s to the 1990s. This decision follows two expert reports that could not agree on whether the scheme constituted genocide. A joint Danish-Greenlandic inquiry revealed that at least 4,000 Greenlandic Inuits, including girls as young as 12, received intrauterine devices (IUDs) or contraceptive injections, often without their consent or knowledge. The inquiry indicated that the practice aimed to reduce birth rates and family sizes, which Danish authorities believed would improve living standards and health conditions in Greenland, a semi-sovereign territory of Denmark with a population of 57,000. Greenland's government has tasked a four-member commission in 2024 to investigate the campaign, which resulted in serious health complications for some victims, including infections and infertility. Greenland’s Justice Minister Marianne Paviasen stated that the experts could not reach a unanimous conclusion on the genocide question, with one report denying genocide and another stating that the extent of the violations could not be established. Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen emphasized that the commission would focus on uncovering the truth rather than assigning blame. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen affirmed that Copenhagen would collaborate with Greenland's government on the political process. The Greenlandic Siumut Party has called for the genocide question to be resolved by an independent international court. Victims have expressed concerns about the lack of Greenlandic Inuit experts involved in the investigation. Denmark apologized for the scheme last year, acknowledging systematic discrimination against Greenlanders. The Danish parliament has approved compensation of up to 300,000 Danish crowns ($46,758) for affected women.