HELLO & WELCOME
DR LARA OWEN
Dr. Lara Owen is recognized internationally for her pioneering and continuing work on menstruation.
Lara is the author of Her Blood Is Gold, first published by HarperCollins in 1993, and Reorganizing Menstruation, published by Oxford University Press in 2024. She holds a PhD in menstrual organization from Monash Business School, is a founding member of the Menstruation Research Network (UK), and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of St Andrews. She lectures internationally and teaches a Master’s level course in Contemporary Menstrual Studies to students worldwide.
NEW BOOK
REORGANIZING MENSTRUATION
Reorganizing Menstruation: Menstrual innovations and the redistribution of boundaries, capitals, and labour
Dr Lara Owen’s recently published book explores changes in contemporary menstrual practices, and looks at what is revealed and made possible when longstanding gendered stigma is disrupted.
For details on the book and to order, go to its OUP page. The book is of course also available at Amazon and major chains internationally.
TEACHING
Contemporary Menstrual Studies
Read on to find out more about the in-depth Master’s level course, currently one year long, with a second year being added in 2025 for those who have already completed the first year.
Lara also gives occasional webinars on specific topics, and lectures and panels run by other organizations, such as universities, NGOs, or social enterprises.
See the upcoming events page for the current schedule. Check back here for updates and sign up to the newsletter.
MASTER’S LEVEL
ONLINE COURSE
The first year of the Masters-level course explores menstruation in the contexts of business, feminism, history, law, public health, public policy, popular culture, religion, sustainability, sport, technology, wellbeing, and the workplace. The course is updated every year to take account of new research and social, political and legal developments. The optional second year, starting in 2025, will cover specific aspects of menstrual experience. More details to come.
The 2024 course is now full and registration is closed.
As in previous years, the 2024 course has drawn students from all over the world; this time from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, New Zealand, Serbia, Sudan, the U.K. and the U.S.A.
Please use the Contact tab in the Main Menu to express your interest in taking the next course, which will start in March 2025. Registration will open on October 1, 2024.
• Join a dedicated group of fellow students and practitioners from around the world
• Receive a wealth of information to ground and inform your work
• Learn from a pioneer and long-time expert in the field
What course participants are saying
Scroll this section to see short excerpts from comments by CMS students around the world.
“I have gained in-depth and practical knowledge in every aspect of the topic of menstruation and a rich and detailed understanding of feminism. I highly recommend this fantastic course.”
Andisheh Jahangir, Health Project Officer, Iran
“This course, with its comprehensive, considered and unparalleled scope, offered a ground and breadth of knowledge largely lacking within the field of menstruation as a whole. Dr. Lara Owen is an incredible teacher and brilliant mind. I am grateful for this course beyond measure.”
Samantha Neal, Menstrual educator, Byron Bay, Australia
“Lara’s considerable experience, engaging delivery and supportive approach has made this course an incredibly valuable contribution to my PhD studies.”
Karen Abi-Karam, Sussex, PhD student, University of Dundee
“Dra Lara is an amazing educator who holds safe space not only for learning, but also for a personal transformational process. I highly recommend it.”
Mariana Soriano, PhD, Sexual & Menstrual Educator. Co-Founder YAWAR Project, Bolivia
“Being part of the Contemporary Menstrual Studies course was genuinely inspiring. Lara, our exceptional professor, guided the class through a fascinating learning journey, attentively listening to students and fostering an environment that embraced diverse perspectives.”
Nicole Spohr, PhD, Menstrual educator and activist, Amsterdam and Brazil
“The Contemporary Menstrual Studies course was a privilege to participate in. Lara’s dedication to ensuring menstruation receives the attention that it both requires and deserves is an inspiration.”
Molly Haglund, South Gippsland, Australia.
“Taking this course has been one of the best experiences that one can have as a woman, a researcher, or someone keenly interested in menstruation.”
Erika Lizbeth Vega Anaya, PhD student, Tamil Nadu, India
“The Contemporary Menstrual Studies course has provided me with the knowledge and confidence to bring the conversation around menstruation to different environments and to increase my efforts to fight its stigma. It has helped me to evaluate more critically what I read and see about menstruation in the written and online media.”
Didi Ananda Rashmika, yogic missionary and menstrual activist, Dutch based in Colombia
“One of the best decisions I have made. Dr. Lara Owen, an exceptional educator, offered phenomenal support throughout the course, further enhancing my learning experience. I strongly recommend this course.”
Wendy Atswei Laryea, Founder, Inspire to Rise, Ghana
“This class was such a pleasure to be in and the highlight of my 2023. It exceeded my expectations and was exactly the kind of grounding in menstrual studies I had been looking for for years.”
Kate Uhlman, Operations, London
Her Blood Is Gold:
Awakening to the Wisdom of Menstruation
Lara Owen’s ground-breaking book on destigmatising and acknowledging menstruation was published by HarperCollins in 1993 and has since been updated twice. It is now in its fourth edition (2022, Archive Publishing), sells in higher numbers each year, and is also available in Portugese (2019), French (2021) and Spanish (2024).
Her Blood Is Gold:
Awakening to the Wisdom of Menstruation
This ground-breaking book on destigmatising and acknowledging menstruation was published by HarperCollins in 1993 and has since been updated twice. It is now in its fourth edition (2022, Archive Publishing), sells in higher numbers each year, and is published in translation in Portugese (2019), French (2021) and Spanish (2024).
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