u/Solid-Savings5362

Hey guys,

I’ve been reading up on how gender dynamics play out in non-Western countries, and the situation for men in Iran seems incredibly brutal, yet almost nobody in mainstream spaces talks about it.

I wanted to ask if anyone here has deeper insights into Sarbazi (their mandatory military service). From what I’ve gathered, every guy over 18 is forced into 2 years of service, and they can randomly end up in the regular army or the IRGC.

What blows my mind are the civil consequences if you don't or can't serve. It basically amounts to a total state lockdown on your life. Without that military card, you can’t get a passport, you can’t leave the country, you can’t legally own or buy property, and you’re barred from decent corporate or government jobs. You can’t even get a basic bank loan.

It feels like a massive, systemic trap that completely flies under the radar of Western human rights organizations while women's struggles are rightfully talked about.

To anyone who lives there or knows the system: how do young guys cope with this? Does it completely stall your life or career path? Would love to hear some thoughts or actual experiences on this.

Hey everyone,

I recently saw a screenshot on r/everydaymisandry of a guy saying "I'm a man and men are horrible." It hit way too close to home and reminded me of my own past, so I wanted to share my journey here. A few years ago, I fell deep into what I can only describe as "auto-misandry"—genuine, self-directed hatred for being born male.

It started around late 2022, during the Mahsa Amini protests. Watching those events made me dive deep into online feminist spaces. On top of that, my mother always talked about women’s issues—which is fine, those exist—but men’s struggles were completely invisible to me. Over the next year and a half, I fully internalized the radical rhetoric. I started feeling actual guilt just for existing as a man. I genuinely believed that men were inherently toxic and couldn't be as good or moral as women. It completely wrecked my self-esteem and mental health.

Two main things finally snapped me out of that echo chamber:

First, the blatant double standards. I started noticing how casually women online would body-shame men over height and other unchangeable physical traits, with zero pushback. It clicked for me that toxicity isn't gendered. Women are just as capable of toxic behavior as men; they just get a pass for it. After that realization, I checked out of politics entirely for over a year.

The real turning point happened in late 2025 with the renewed debates about conscription and military service here in Europe. Watching society casually discuss sending young men to the front lines as cannon fodder—while completely ignoring our rights and safety—was a massive wake-up call. It made me realize how disposable men still are to institutional power. We aren't the ones with all the privilege; we are treated as expendable. I started to get interested in subreddits about men's issues in late 2025.

That’s when I became an MRA. Men deserve empathy, advocacy, and a voice without being the automatic scapegoat for every problem in the world.

If any guys reading this are stuck in that phase of self-blame: please step away from those toxic spaces. You are not responsible for the actions of other men, and you don't owe anyone an apology for being born male.

Thanks for reading.

[I recently saw a screenshot of a man saying "I'm a man and men are horrible" on r/everydaymisandry, and it reminded me so much of my own past that I felt compelled to share my full journey here.]

Hey everyone,

I’ve been reading a lot of posts here lately about how online spaces and radical rhetoric affect men’s mental health, and it made me want to share my own story. A few years ago, I fell into a deep state of what I can only describe as "auto-misandry" (self-directed misandry).

It started around the time of Mahsa Amini’s death. Seeing the horrific things happening to women made me dive deeper into online feminist spaces. My own mother used to talk a lot about women's problems too—which is fair, those problems exist—but men’s issues were basically never mentioned. Over about a year and a half, I completely internalized the worst talking points. I started feeling genuine guilt just for being born male. I honestly began to believe that men simply couldn't be as good of people as women. I felt like men were inherently toxic, and it absolutely wrecked my self-esteem.

Two specific things snapped me out of this echo chamber.

First (september 2024), I started noticing massive double standards. I saw countless heightist and body-shaming comments from women online, targeting men for things they can't control. It made me realize that toxic behavior isn't gendered. Humans of all genders can be toxic, and men don't have a monopoly on bad behavior. I was neither feminist nor male advocate for the next ~13 months.

Second, the recent debates about military service and conscription here in Europe really woke me up. Seeing how casually society expects young men to be sent to war, while completely ignoring our safety and rights, made me realize how disposable men still are in the modern world. Institutional power still treats us as expendable.

That was the turning point in late 2025. I became a male advocate because I believe also men deserve advocacy, empathy, and a voice without being blamed for every problem in the world. I started to get interested in subreddits about men's issues around the same time.

If any guys here are currently stuck in that phase of thinking you’re inherently a bad person just because you're a man: please step away from the toxic online spaces. You are not responsible for the actions of other men across the world.

Thanks for reading.

Hi everyone,

I am looking for factual information, academic sources, or lived experiences regarding the specific hardships that boys and men face in Afghanistan.

While the severe, horrifying restrictions on women are widely and rightfully discussed, the unique systemic pressures on men are often completely overlooked. I want to better understand and articulate the male experience in this context. Based on my preliminary reading, I am trying to find deeper evidence and sources specifically regarding:

1. Crushing Economic Pressure: The absolute burden of being the sole provider for entire extended families in a collapsed economy.

2. Extreme Violence & Conscription: The high risk of forced recruitment, combat casualties, reprisals, and arbitrary violence or executions.

3. Complete Lack of Exit Options: The extreme difficulty for single men to obtain refugee status, visas, or asylum internationally.

4. Suffocating Cultural Expectations: The psychological toll of strict traditional male roles under the enforcement of the current regime.

5. Other Overlooked Issues: Any additional relevant information on male vulnerability in this region as a "bonus."

Any links to NGO reports, journalistic articles, or insightful perspectives would be highly appreciated.

Thank you!