Chantal Pinzi, an Italian-born, Berlin-based photographer, has recently won the Sony World Photography Awards with her project “Shred The Patriarchy.” The project centralizes the burgeoning female-centred skateboarding community in the village of Janwaar, Madhya Pradesh, India.

The Cultural Landscape that Shred The Patriarchy Exists In

As in Western nations, skateboarding is a sport primarily dominated by men and boys; as it stands, the Indian gender ratio of men to women in skateboarding is 95% to 5%. This gender disparity is only heightened by the cultural stereotypes placed upon Indian women; they are expected to be homemakers, often forced into arranged marriages. From there, they will be the primary caregiver of a husband and children, having little time for their hobbies or interests. This is the tradition; this is the life that many Indian women have come to expect. However, many do not have it.

From the anger of a sexist patriarchal society stemmed resistance. In 2023, The Guardian spoke to female Mumbai and Pune skaters about their experience engaging with the sport in the current cultural landscape. Above all, an impenetrable bond exists between the women in these communities; due to a lack of female skateboarding instructors, these troupes teach one another and collectively improve their skills. This supportive environment has greatly fostered the female skateboarding scene’s growth in India.

What Does Shred The Patriarchy Do?

Highlighting the resistance and resilience of Janwaar women was Pinzi’s paramount goal with Shred The Patriarchy. In April 2025, Pinzi told World Skate that she has “always tried to understand and challenge the structures of power, oppression, sexism and misogyny. Choosing to focus on women skaters is part of that commitment. [She sees] it as both a form of resistance and a responsibility.”

Pinzi’s collection of photographs for the project is utterly iconoclastic. With each photo, the stereotypical ideal of what an Indian woman is or should be, is fragmented until it is entirely shattered. Pinzi highlights young women, primarily in traditional kurtis or sari dresses, engaging in anything but traditional activities. Some shots capture the subject mid-way through a skate trick, while others capture women alone or in a company, holding their boards as if the object were a lifeline.

While most subjects can be seen in traditional Indian dress, more commonly worn khussa shoes are exchanged for worn trainers, like Vans or Converse, which are much more appropriate for the sporting activity. Sometimes, these women do not comply with the customs: in one shot, a young subject poses clad in a Jim Morrison t-shirt, black trousers and trainers. These women are, one custom at a time, fighting back.

Conclusion

Due to resistant factions, like the Janwaar women learning to skate, sociocultural change is being pushed in India. In Western nations, the idea that a woman might be unable to do something as simple as skateboarding with her friends seems absurd. For millions of Indian women, however, this is reality; they are denied the basic right to live in communities that nurture their interests. However, with the rise to prominence of these troupes via projects like Shred The Patriarchy, widespread acceptance of broken gender norms is one step closer.

– Sarina Maloy

Sarina is based in Bath, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash