Karnal Student Honored at World Conference on Women’s Studies
Rishita Dang, a postgraduate student of Economics and Analytics at Christ University, Delhi NCR, has won the Best Paper Presentation Award at the 12th World Conference on Women’s Studies (WCWS 2026), held in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The award recognized her paper titled “Breaking Barriers on Body: Lived Experiences of Women Athletes Navigating Gendered Constraints in Developing Contexts,” which explores the everyday challenges women athletes face in resource-constrained and male-dominated sporting environments.
Research Rooted in Personal Experience
Drawing on her own experience as an international taekwondo athlete, Rishita combined personal narratives with feminist and sports studies perspectives. Her research examined how gender norms, institutional authority, bodily regulation, and vulnerability shape women’s experiences in sport. She highlighted embodied responses such as silence, self-surveillance, and perseverance as strategies women athletes adopt to navigate marginalizing systems.
Call for Gender Equality in Sports
In her paper, Rishita argued that recognizing these lived experiences is essential for addressing persistent gender inequalities and transforming the male-dominated culture of sport. Her work contributes to the growing discourse on gender equity and inclusion in athletics.
Institutional Pride and Previous Achievements
Faculty members and fellow students at Christ University congratulated Rishita, describing the achievement as a matter of pride for the institution. Last year, she represented India in taekwondo at the FISU World University Games held in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany. Her ability to integrate academic research with first-hand sporting experience has earned widespread appreciation.
