In Greenland, a recent decision by the Danish government is offering monetary compensation to numerous Inuit women who were part of a coercive intrauterine device (IUD) program that lasted for decades. This move has sparked hope among Inuit women in Canada who were similarly affected and are now looking for acknowledgment and redress from their own government.
A joint inquiry conducted in 2025 by Greenland and Denmark revealed that between 1966 and 1991, around 4,000 Greenlandic women and girls, some as young as 12, underwent forced sterilizations through the implantation of IUDs, often without their consent. Naaja Nathanielsen, a Greenlandic member of the Danish parliament, emphasized the lasting impact of this dark chapter on women in the country today.
The Danish government’s objective behind the program was to curb birth rates and family sizes on the island, as outlined in the joint report. Eligible women who were subjected to the program can now receive a one-time compensation of approximately $64,000 CAD. However, some Greenlandic politicians believe that the compensation should have been provided much earlier.
In Canada, the recent action by the Danish government has raised expectations that the federal government might follow suit. Over the years, numerous Indigenous women in Canada have been subjected to forced or coerced sterilization, a practice that continued well beyond the 1990s. Reports from sources like the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscaminque (UQAT) and the Canadian Senate highlight cases of imposed sterilization in the country.
Cecilia Papak, an Inuk woman from Rankin Inlet, shared her experience of being coerced into sterilization in the late 1970s after being told by doctors that she needed a hysterectomy. The lack of a formal apology from the Canadian government regarding forced sterilization on Indigenous women contrasts with the Danish government’s recent actions, leaving many hopeful for similar acknowledgment and compensation.
Despite ongoing class-action lawsuits related to forced sterilization in Canada and legal amendments in the criminal code, the issue remains unresolved. Qarsoq Høegh-Dam, a member of the Danish parliament from Greenland, stressed the importance of countries like Canada and Greenland learning from each other’s past experiences to navigate the path forward in addressing this common struggle of forced sterilization.