The Greenland government will pay compensation to 15 women who were victims of forced contraception after 1991. The injured parties are to receive DKK 300,000 each.
Women who had intrauterine devices inserted without their consent after 1991 will receive compensation from the government, Eric Jensen, Greenland's finance minister, announced on Tuesday. The number of victims is currently estimated at 15, but the authorities announce that they are ready to pay compensation to more women, reports the Danish daily “Berlingske”.
According to local media reports, each of the injured parties is to receive 300,000 crowns from the government, i.e. the equivalent of approximately PLN 173,000. – The most important thing is to apologize to the women. We do this by admitting that they were treated in an unacceptable manner, said Jensen, quoted by “Berlingske”.
Forced contraception. Will there be more compensation?
The compensation announced by Minister Jensen applies only to Inuit women who experienced forced contraception after 1991, i.e. after Greenland took over control of the country controlled until then by Dish health care system.
At the time when this system was managed by the Danish authorities, the practice of inserting intrauterine coils without the patients' consent or knowledge was said to have affected approximately 9,000 women, including approximately 4.5 thousand Inuit women. The case is under investigation. Its results are to be presented in 2025. More than 140 victims are demanding compensation.
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