4 Worst Matchmaking Biases

Indian Matchmaking - a recent Netflix show - gives rise to numerous debates around arranged marriages and matchmaking biases.

Hans Matrimony, enables its clients to find partners for life using not only technology but also traditional matchmakers.

As a matchmaker there are several matchmaking biases that Hans Matrimony observes regularly. Through this post we bring to you the most prominent biases practiced in the matchmaking field by matchmakers and customers alike.

Colorism

Now, this to be honest is gender agnostic. Both girls' and boys' prefer light skinned matches. Many of you reject matches basis photograph.

In many cases, people do not even bother with the biodata of the match if the photo is not found suitable. The common refrain of the client is if the photograph is not up to the mark then what is the point of looking at the bio data.

Casteism

No point in even talking about religion bias. Catering to Indian society it is an accepted norm that in arranged marriage matches would be made only within the same religion.

The surprising element, however, is the insistence on marrying within the same community even in this day and age. Matchmakers through perseverance are able to open up the filters but that too is strict such as within upper castes.

Regionalism

Another widely prevalent bias is regionalism. People from Northern India usually frown upon matches from South India and vice versa.

In fact, in numerous instances people prefer  matches in the same city. For instance, a Delhi-NCR customer would prefer the match also to be from Delhi-NCR only.  

The justification for this practice is that it is easy to adjust with someone from the same city/region.

Astrological Bias

Even in this day and age, there are a number of believers in astrology in Hindu families. In fact, in a recent poll on Facebook conducted in July around 72 percent of voters attested to their belief in astrology. They believe in proper star alignment before agreeing to matches. Two crucial aspects to this are mangal dosha and guna matching.

It is a widely held belief that those with mangal dosha should marry only amongst each other. Marriages between unequal mangal dosha matches can bring ill fortune. Hence, avoid such matches.

Moreover, a lot of families believe that at least 18 of the 36 guna should match for a marriage to be successful and reject otherwise suitable matches basis this incompatibility.

PATH AHEAD

While it is difficult to change customer biases as responsible players in the matchmaking field you can nudge the customers to:

• Meet the prospective match if everything else is favorable rather than just rejecting basis photograph
• Consider the educational and occupational background before taking into consideration caste of the match
• Take into account the economic status and social status to understand familiarity if the match belongs to a different region
• Look for corrective solutions if the astrological signs do not match but all other factors are positive

As matchmakers, the need of the hour is to maintain a fine balance between customer needs and progressive societal beliefs.