“متن راستچین با عنوان:”

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Behrouz Javid Tehrani

The reason for this sexualization is that if you ask intellectuals and writers today to write about sexism, most of them think that the writing should only be about gender discrimination against women. While men, due to gender-based stereotypes inherited from traditional society, are often victims in many cases, as will be mentioned later, their suffering is not taken seriously and they are not given a helping hand. Gender-based stereotypes that require men to be strong and hide their suffering, and consider any protest against this type of sexism as a violation of masculinity. Even in cases such as family problems, domestic violence, mental health issues, and ultimately remaining silent against gender-based discrimination against men in society, they will not seek help from anyone. As a result, drug abuse, self-harm, and suicide rates among men have increased, with their successful suicide rates being almost twice as high in most underdeveloped societies and three times higher in developed societies (1).

In today’s Iranian society, all financial responsibility falls on the man in the family, and even in the process of divorce in family courts, it is the man who is responsible for paying large and unfair dowries as compensation for the end of the relationship. Currently, due to the inability to pay dowries or alimony and despite promises from the new head of the judiciary, Ebrahim Raisi, two thousand men are still imprisoned and it can easily be estimated that thousands of others outside of prison are forced to pay lifelong installments. This is while according to the latest report from the Iranian Statistical Center published in May of this year, 18.2% of the employed population in the country are women. This is a regrettable statistic, but it is enough to make civil activists who recognize sexism and fight against it in society, demand the abolition of financial responsibilities for men such as alimony, dowry, equal pay, and inheritance, and instead call for financial responsibility in marriage and

On the other hand, the child custody law after divorce in Iran is sexist. The sexism of this law is blatant, but only the part that is against women receives attention. According to current custody laws, the mother has priority until the child is 7 years old, and after that, the daughter until 9 years old and the son until 15 years old, the father has custody priority. But what if the father or mother is not capable of taking care of the child? Which modern and fair law can determine child custody based on the gender of the parent and not their capability and the best interest of the child? Regarding the guardianship of the child in Iranian laws, which is the responsibility of the father or paternal grandfather and puts the burden of providing for the child during and after divorce solely on the father or paternal grandfather, the same issue of sexism is present.

We can find sexism in the way society, civil activists, and the law treat male victims of domestic violence. In addition to the gender stereotypes that prevent male victims from speaking out and seeking legal help, the issue is not taken seriously by society and even civil activists in Iran. For many, this type of violence is still seen as a joke or even portrayed in comedy films, which shows the depth of the tragedy. This tragedy is not accurately recorded even in the most advanced countries in the world. Furthermore, the “Law on Ensuring Women’s Safety against Violence” can be criticized from a fair and sexist perspective. Couldn’t this law be called “Prevention of Domestic Violence” and treat domestic violence as a crime regardless of the gender of the victim?

Sexism against men and society’s neglect of it does not end here. The traditional view of society towards men and their inherent duty to provide for their families, where it is believed that “work is the essence of a man” and a man must provide for the family at any cost, has resulted in 419 men and 5 women out of 424 deaths in work-related accidents in Tehran in 2018, as reported by the Tehran Legal Medicine Organization. This same view of men and their responsibility has led to a statistic of 98% of men in prison and on the list of executions in the past year. In countries where statistics and information flow freely, it has been proven in courts that men receive harsher sentences compared to women for similar crimes and spend longer periods in prison. According to a study at the University of Michigan that looked at the records and other criteria of convicted men and women, researchers found that this difference in sentencing and priority, known as the “sentencing gap

Apart from this, you can see sexism in the way society and officials treat the homeless, addicts, prostitutes, and even child laborers. In all of these cases, the number of male victims is two or three times higher than females, and furthermore, the chances of receiving attention, help, and rescue for men are significantly lower.

It is clear that one of the most sexist laws in Iran is mandatory military service and beyond that, the duty to defend the country in case of external attack. According to Iranian laws, boys are required to serve in the military from the age of 18 and are prohibited from leaving the country. This duty and the view that chooses this gender for a job not only counts as sexism and discrimination against men, but also reinforces and confirms the stereotype of women as weak and incapable. Many believe that this gender stereotype and mandatory military service have only been around for two years, when in fact the consequences of it, both for those who submit to this injustice and sexism, and for those who resist it, last a lifetime. The victims of physical disabilities or casualties during mandatory service, whether resulting from soldier suicides or in accidents and conflicts, also affects the families of these individuals.

In conclusion, as mentioned, sexism against men can be identified in all aspects of daily life and society, and can be fought against. However, it is important to know that addressing sexism and gender discrimination against men does not ignore the issues faced by women. The goal is to bring attention to the problems faced by both genders and make them a topic of discussion in society. The only solution to achieving this goal is for men to recognize this discourse and pay more attention to equal rights for themselves and women in society.