She Wanted To Demystify Arranged Marriage. So She Designed A Board Game

Nashra Balagamwala noticed there’s often confusion about how arranged marriage and matchmaking work. Inspired by her own experience, the Pakistani-born designer created a board game that guides players through the practices’ intricacies and traditions.

Here & Now‘s Robin Young speaks with Balagamwala about Arranged and what she hopes the game will achieve.

Interview Highlights

On the portrayal of arranged marriages in the media

“Generally, the portrayal of arranged marriages [in] media is actually what I would refer to as a forced marriage. Usually, the things you’re going to see are stories of acid attacks, maybe honor killings, things that are violent, things that are aggressive, where the woman is usually given little to no choice. Arranged marriages on the other hand are quite different; they’re more so an introduction. I would say, how is an introduction really that