Forced contraception in Greenland did not meet legal definition of genocide, experts say

Experts have concluded that Denmark's campaign of forced contraception in Greenland, which involved the sterilization and IUD insertions of Inuit women, did not meet the legal definition of genocide. However, they affirmed that the campaign constituted a severe violation of women's rights.

The findings address a historical practice where Danish authorities implemented a policy of forced birth control on Inuit women in Greenland during the 1960s and 1970s. This policy aimed to reduce the population, and many women were fitted with IUDs or underwent sterilization without their full consent or understanding.

While the legal threshold for genocide, which requires intent to destroy a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group, was not met according to the experts' assessment, the campaign is recognized as a profound breach of fundamental human rights and reproductive autonomy. The revelations have brought renewed attention to the historical injustices faced by the Inuit population in Greenland under Danish rule.