The 2024 US elections felt like a punch to the gut for many American women and some are swearing off men saying Donald Trump’s return to power could be devastating for reproductive rights — notably, access to abortion. Many women on social media say they are tired of awaiting what the future holds for their own bodily autonomy and can’t fathom dating men, so, they have decided to bring the 4B movement to the US. Also read | Donald Trump snaps at reporter after question about abortion: ‘Stop talking about that’
But what is the 4B movement, and why are US women turning to it in the face of the future Trump administration that allegedly seeks to strip them of their reproductive freedom?
What is the 4B movement?
Over the last few years, South Korean women took on a new approach to protest against patriarchy by no longer being active participants in the system. Some South Korean women are no longer participating in heterosexual relationships in response to issues like revenge porn, gender-based violence, and femicide. By not engaging with men, these women are stressing that if the violence against them doesn’t stop, the 4B movement will ensure the birth rate will continue to go down, and as a result, the population will slowly die out.
Per a recent report by The Washington Post, the ideology behind the 4B movement is based on four simple rules that start with ‘bi’, which means ‘no’ in Korean:
◉ Biyeonae: No dating men
◉ Bisekseu: No sex with men
◉ Bihon: No marriage
◉ Bichulsan: No child-rearing
The 4B movement reportedly began in response to high rates of violence against women, including the 2016 murder of a young woman in a public bathroom in Seoul, per The Washington Post. Since the mid-2010s, the movement has grown, mostly online on TikTok and Instagram, with women vowing to cease personal romantic relationships with men.
What are women in the United States saying?
With women’s bodies constantly being policed and politicised, the bold 4B movement might be exactly what they need to create substantive change in the US, according to various women who are asking others to boycott men entirely over gender inequality in the country.
“Ladies, we need to start considering the 4B movement like the women in South Korea and give America a severely sharp birth rate decline: no marriage, no childbirth, no dating men, no sex with men. We can’t let these men have the last laugh… we need to bite back,” X user @lalisasaura wrote on Wednesday in a tweet that has now garnered over 469,000 likes, 75,000 retweets and 19.9 million views.
Many responded to her tweet. One said, “If South Korean women can successfully do this, it is not impossible!!!!!!” Another tweeted, “It’s a bold move, but women reclaiming control could send a powerful message.” A third person tweeted, “I’m a man and I completely agree with this.”
Some, however, were worried such a movement could lead to unprecedented consequences as ‘Trump’s election has proven that misogyny and misogynoir are deeply woven into the fabric of our society’.
In another widely shared tweet, X user @solitasims wrote, “Ladies, I’m being so fr (for real) when I say this, it’s time to close off your wombs to males. This election proves now more than ever that they hate us and hate us proudly. Do not reward them.” Someone also tweeted: “For those still wondering what 4B movement is: no dating, no sex, no babies, no marriage.”
