Even in western nations, female skaters have found it hard to break into a sport long dominated by lads. In India\u2019s stubbornly patriarchal society, women like Gond have had to overcome even more obstacles. But overcome them she has. In 2018, she was the only female skater representing India at the World Skateboarding Championship in Nanjing, China.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgainst prejudice and threats, some women have rebelled, balancing on a board and transforming skateboarding into a form of resistance against the patriarchy,\u201d said Chantal Pinzi, an Italian photographer who has documented India\u2019s female skateboarders for a photo series called Shred the Patriarchy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough the art of falling and getting back up, these women challenge stereotypes, fight marginalisation and reclaim public spaces in both urban and rural areas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pinzi won the sports category at the 2025 Sony World Photography Awards for the series. As well as a celebration of girl power, the series is a reminder of how something as simple as building a skatepark can change lives, as it did in the village of Janwaar, Madhya Pradesh, where Gond grew up.<\/p>\n
Image: \u00a9 Chantal Pinzi, Italy, winner, professional competition, sport, Sony World Photography awards 2025<\/p>\n
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