UN human rights experts warn that downplaying forced contraception of Inuit women in Greenland threatens redress

7 October 2026

Independent experts appointed by the Human Rights Council warned that downplaying the forced contraception of thousands of Inuit women and girls in Greenland threatens genuine redress. Their warning followed a dissenting report by two former members of an expert group appointed by Greenland's Government, which found no empirical grounds to assume that Danish or Greenlandic authorities intentionally and systematically inserted intrauterine devices without consent. Denmark and Greenland have already acknowledged that the practice occurred for decades in public care institutions and have apologised. The experts urged Denmark to make compensation more accessible in linguistic and cultural terms, to include women with disabilities, and to address forced adoption and the removal of Inuit children from their parents. They said remedy requires a clear, accurate and undisputed record of historical facts. The experts are unpaid and are not United Nations staff.