In the wake of Donald Trump’s re-election victory on Tuesday, a significant wave of anger and frustration has rippled across liberal women in the US.
As social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram light up with discussions, one movement, in particular, is gaining renewed attention: the 4B movement from South Korea.
This movement, which encourages women to reject marriage, childbirth, dating, and sex with men, is resonating with many American women who are fed up with the state of gender inequality in their country.
The 4B movement, originating in South Korea, stands for bihon (no marriage), bichulsan (no childbirth), biyeonae (no dating), and bisekseu (no sex with men).
It emerged as a radical response to the country’s deep-seated gender disparities, which include a staggering wage gap (the largest among OECD countries) and frequent instances of gender-based violence. South Korean feminists pushed back against oppressive systems, calling attention to issues like femicide, revenge porn, and digital sex crimes.
This movement is finding new life in the United States as young women, particularly those who lean left, express their disillusionment with a political system that appears to overlook their rights and voices.
In the days following Trump’s re-election, many women have taken to social media to voice their anger. For them, the fact that a man found liable for sexual abuse and whose presidency was marked by the overturning of national abortion rights could secure a second term, is both enraging and disheartening. And also, that majority of men voted for him.
This growing anger is fueling the spread of 4B ideology in the US.
Kamala Harris, who ran as the Democratic candidate, lost in what was a hard-fought battle, sending shockwaves through liberal communities. As the first woman and the first woman of color to hold the position of Vice President, Harris represented a break from the political norms in the US.
