After the presidential election, as Americans came to terms with Donald Trump assuming office again in January, the 4B Movement gained popularity on social media. I personally saw it mentioned in nearly every single comment section relating to the election or women’s rights. While the phrase “4B Movement” has skyrocketed in popularity during the last month, many people may not understand the definition or origin of this movement.
The 4B Movement originated in South Korea from women who were fed up with how men treated them. This feminist movement involves straight women decentering men from their lives. PBS shared that B is a shorthand in Korean for “no” and lists the “four nos” of the movement: no sex, no dating, no marrying men, no children. This movement is more than just a sex strike; it calls for no romantic or sexual interactions with men.
Trump’s victory has many women in America concerned about the way men will treat them and how much control they’ll have over their bodies in the next four years. Perhaps the 4B movement is a way for women to feel in control in a society where they may not have complete control anymore. Discussions about this movement have been amping up, especially amongst feminists, but the real question is whether this movement will take off in America.
While only time will tell, many people aren’t optimistic about the movement’s kickstarting in America. CNN’s Harmeet Kaur interviewed Ju Hui Judy Han, an assistant gender studies professor, about her thoughts on the movement. Kaur’s article states that Han believes the United States “relies too heavily on the gender binary and that those inspired to join it as a result of the election are overlooking the fact that plenty of women voted for Trump.”
NBC’s exit poll data for ten key states reveals that 53% of women who voted in the latest presidential election are Democrats and 53% of white women are Republicans. White women are the largest demographic of women in America, so if they followed their political party and voted for Trump, they might not care about participating in the 4B movement, let alone be aware of it.
Similar doubts about the movement succeeding in America can be found on TikTok. One user, @leiddishh, posted a video back in April, saying, “You guys are like, ‘I don’t want the responsibilities of being with a man, and men suck, blah blah blah,’ but you guys get lonely, you want the validation.” She brings up the concern that women will cave despite people seeming passionate now.
Another user, @juliaisstruggling, brings up the fact that because a lot of white women voted for Trump, a 4B movement will not happen in America, stating, “[white women] benefit from white supremacy. They didn’t vote against their interests — it is in their interest to vote for that man.”
This divide between women may prevent the 4B Movement from getting enough support actually to start creating change. That being said, Buzzfeed shared that in their poll of 500 women, 84% view the 4B Movement as a good idea. While discourse about the success of this movement is mixed, thousands of women in America are considering decentering men.
After examining women’s reactions, I wondered how men felt about the 4B Movement. One might anticipate pure apprehension and rejection. Buzzfeed did share several of these types of responses, such as, “Women need to take a big breath. Their world is not going to blow up any time soon, and their demands are only going to punish society in the long run.” Others said, “Just a doubling down on the man hate that successfully drove so many young men to vote for Trump in the first place,” and “A small group of women withholding sex isn’t going to last long.” While there is a lot of hate from men, there has also been some positivity.
On TikTok, one user, @amoreperfectpodcast, shared a differing, supportive perspective of the 4B Movement. He states, “It’s time for society to change, and if women need to take on the 4B Movement in America to do it, you have my support.” While it may be confusing to see a man share such strong support for a movement focused on decentering men, he discusses in the video how hard women have been fighting for equality and to be treated well, so perhaps we’ll see more men vocalizing support for the movement.
There is much doubt whether the 4B Movement will gain popularity in America as it did when it started in South Korea. Support from both men and women is among these doubts, so only time will tell if women in America can genuinely decenter men!