By Ashvinderjeet Kaur
Following Donald Trump’s surprising victory in the 2024 US presidential election, a new mission began gaining traction among young American women: the 4B movement. This feminist campaign advocates saying no to marriage, dating, children, and sex with men.
Spreading quickly across social media platforms like TikTok and X, it amassed millions of views, with women embracing it as a way to distance themselves from men entirely in a fight back against the rising wave of misogynist rhetoric from Trump and his ilk.
What Is The 4B Movement?
This idea started in South Korea around 2015-2016, with young women in their 20s at the forefront. The name “4B” comes from four Korean words: bihon (no marriage), bichulsan (no childbirth), biyeonae (no dating), and bisekseu (no sex with men). It’s how women can protest over sexism and stark gender inequality in South Korea.
Gaining momentum alongside other global feminist campaigns, like #MeToo, but taking a more radical stance, it was a form of protest against the many challenges South Korean women face, including violence, unequal pay, and societal pressure. Over time, it became how they showed their frustration with a system that often makes them feel trapped by their gender.
It may not be huge, but it has a strong message of autonomy, rejecting relationships with men as a way to break free from patriarchal expectations.
Why Did It Emerge In South Korea?
A mix of gender inequality, rising violence against women, and economic hardships inspired the women of South Korea. They have long faced a significant wage gap—earning 31% less than men—and are often expected to shoulder most household and childcare duties.
It gained momentum after a shocking incident in 2016, when a man killed a woman in a Seoul train station, claiming he did so because women ignored him. This tragedy highlighted society’s deep-rooted misogyny.
Further fueling the movement was the election of conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol in 2022, who gained support from young men, many of whom deny gender inequality exists. Yoon’s efforts to weaken the Ministry of Gender Equality worsened tensions, as did increasing violence against women, including digital sex crimes and a male-dominated justice system that often fails to prosecute perpetrators.
Simultaneously, rising living costs forced more women to work outside the home, adding to their already heavy domestic responsibilities. This “double burden” led many to rethink having children, especially given the government’s pressure on women to reproduce and the high expectations placed on them as wives and mothers. The declining birth rate, now one of the lowest in the world, is seen as a national crisis.
In this context, the 4B movement—calling for women to reject traditional roles and take control of their futures—became a form of resistance.
Why Is It Gaining Traction In The US?
Donald Trump’s victory has spurred growing discontent, particularly among young women. Many are outraged by his history of sexual abuse allegations and misogynistic comments—such as his derogatory remarks about his own daughter.
Trump’s influence over the Supreme Court, which led to the 2022 overturning of Roe v Wade and a wave of restrictive abortion laws, has left many women feeling that their reproductive rights are under siege. In response, the 4B movement has resonated as a way for women to reclaim their autonomy and protest what they see as a broader societal disregard for their rights.
Frustrated by Trump’s policies and the backlash against abortion rights, many have adopted the campaign’s central tenet: a boycott of men to demonstrate their refusal to engage with a system that denies them control over their bodies.
The movement is also fueled by the increasing visibility of far-right figures, like Nick Fuentes, who have made inflammatory, misogynistic statements, including co-opting feminist slogans like “Your body, my choice.” This rhetoric has sparked calls for solidarity, with some women referencing the ancient Greek play Lysistrata, where women withheld sex to pressure men into ending a war.
Will It Have A Huge Impact In the US?
As it encourages women to reject relationships with men as a form of resistance against patriarchy, it is unlikely to gain mainstream traction in the United States. While the movement has sparked discussions around gender inequality and reproductive rights, several factors suggest it won’t significantly change anything.
Firstly, abortion as a central campaign issue during the 2024 election did not lead to a clear shift toward the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, who emphasised abortion rights following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Voters were more focused on economic concerns such as inflation and the cost of living.
Exit polls revealed that while Harris did maintain an edge with women voters, her lead was smaller than that of previous Democratic candidates like Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, indicating that abortion was not as decisive as anticipated.
Moreover, many women still supported Trump in the election. While the 4B movement has sparked important conversations about gender inequality and women’s autonomy, its impact in the US will likely remain limited. Many women remain focused on broader political and economic issues, and gender-based movements alone may not shift political loyalties.