Greenlandic women sue Danish state for contraceptive ‘violation’
GuardianOCT 2023
Denmark Apologizes for Forced IUDs on Greenlandic Women
Above: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen addresses an audience during a meeting at the Katuaq cutural house, in Nuuk, Greeland, on Sept. 24, 2025. Image copyright: MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
The spiral case was one of the darkest periods in the shared history of Denmark and Greenland. With this apology, however, the Danish government is taking active steps to address these historic injustices. While Denmark cannot change the past, it is making the right choices to build a better future.
Government-critical narrative
If Denmark is serious about making amends, then the prime minister’s apology is but only the first step in addressing the country’s past sins. Greenland will not accept an apology without action. Therefore, the Danish state must take full accountability for this colonial crime, as with all others, and pay reparations to the victims and their families.