CeMCOR

Tune into CBC Radio One for the second installment of this two-part documentary on the cultural history and meaningfulness of menstruation by the radio program "Ideas". Part 1 will air on Monday June 14, 2010.

Seeing Red, Part 1

They are misfits. Witches. Children. Just a few of the labels used to portray menstruating women over time. The Bible has described the bleeding woman as undergoing "customary impurity". In the Middle Ages, it was thought that women menstruated to release "sexual overflow". Their counterparts in the Victorian era were told that a period would deplete their body's precious resources. Twentieth century feminists worked hard to reclaim menstruation as a vital and positive part of womanhood. IDEAS producer Mary O'Connell explores menstruation from a cultural and historical perspective.

You can listen live on the radio or online. To find your local CBC Radio One frequency, click here. To access live online streaming, click here.