In the last decade, numerous feminist movements have gained momentum worldwide. From burning bras to running radical topless protests, the world has now been introduced to the 4B movement. The movement comes just after Donald Trump's victory as the President of the United States of America, defeating his opponent Kamala Harris.
Thousands of American women are blaming men for Trump's victory and have joined the 4B movement wherein they have vowed no sex, no relationship, no marriage and no giving birth as revenge and a way of protest.
What is the 4B Movement?
Originated in South Korea, the 4B movement, also known as the "Four No's" movement, is a feminist-driven social trend that rejects traditional expectations placed on women. The movement's name comes from four principles of Nos — no marriage, no childbirth, no dating, and no heterosexual sexual relationships. The 'B' stands for 'no' in Korean, and the movement came to foray after the #MeToo and 'escape the corset' movements.
Emerged in 2019 to respond to deep-seated issues such as pervasive sexism, violence against women, and rigid gender roles in Korean society, those who follow the 4B movement choose to avoid societal pressures associated with marriage, beauty standards, and domestic responsibilities. They see these stereotypes as systems that enforce patriarchal control over women's lives and limit their independence.
The protests reached Seoul and across South Korea after a woman was imprisoned when she photographed a nude male model in her art class after he refused to cover his private parts. Protests erupted after that and the movement became bigger.
Why is 4B trending in the USA?
This South Korean movement has been trending in the US amid Trump's sweeping win in the 2024 presidential election. The women's protest against Trump's win can also be attributed to the Democratic Party's campaign agenda where Kamala Harris painted an anti-feminist image of Trump. Many women have taken to their social media accounts where they can be seen upset about Trump's win. "Women have started talking about it. The protest is major because many women think they have been failed by men," says Geeta Kawasari, a middle-school teacher in Atlanta, USA told ETV Bharat. "This is also because many women were hoping for Kamala Harris to win the US election but it didn't happen. Many women think if Harris were in power, their rights would have been protected. Now they think they are unheard," Kawasari added.
A woman in the United States took to her social media account and wrote, "4B is a female liberation movement surrounding the protection of our reproductive system (from the historically oppressive male. It has no room for male-centered females, especially those who are insistent on prioritising feminine males' feelings over female liberation. (sic).
One of the strong posts on X came from a female user read, "After this election where women were pretty much told to their faces that no one gives a shit about them, don't forget, ladies, we do have power. And you know the kind of power I am talking about. Giving up our bodies to men is a choice. We don't have to do this. (sic)."
Neel Thakkar, a Texas resident in the US says, many women are talking about discrimination and also about Trump's anti-feminist remarks during his last tenure as the President of the US. "I think women should have the freedom to define their lives outside social expectations. It's a personal choice of getting married or not, but here most women are choosing 4B as a protest so it's not empowerment, rather a radical protest," says Thakkar who works at a Japanese firm in the US.
Devil's advocate
Since the election result has been declared, the search for the 4B movement has seen a significant rise on various search platforms. The rise of the 4B movement in the US is also an extension of the bitter fight between the genders that was seen during the Trump and Harris campaigns. While it highlights the crucial issue and every individual is free to decide for themselves, one also needs to be ready to bear the consequences of such protests and vows. Women's rights activist and director of the Centre for Social Research in Delhi, Ranjana Kumari says these all are personal choices but unfortunately, society enforces them on women. "Certainly it is empowering but at the same time, they have to look at what kind of social relation they would like to have. In case of any other system, they will be facing consequences of such a decision and they should be ready to bear it," she opines. Further she adds that a lot of women are already taking such decisions and ready to bear the consequences "despite being in a society that is so patriarchal and misogynistic."
No room for open dialogue?
While the frustration with traditional gender expectations is justified, can isolating oneself from relationships be a solution? Should there be more open dialogue supporting gender equality than rejecting the idea of a partnership or family? "Where's the space for dialogue for gender equality anywhere? If you start pointing fingers at who is raising these issues and criticize them, then there's no dialogue. You are silencing the people who talk about it so it is an insulated system. People are then free to make their own decisions," asserts Kumari.
On the other hand, Yogita Bhayana, a women's rights activist in New Delhi thinks that movements like 4B might end up creating more division than understanding if motivated by political moves in any country. "Women are free to make their decisions but if the decision is motivated by a political shift in the country, then it's a political activism rather than women's liberation movement," opines Bhayana. She also points out that the majority of women didn't vote for Kamala Harris if they were taking it out on men for Trump's victory, "Though, if she would have won, it would have been a loud and clear message of women empowerment across the world. But voting is a personal choice and clearly, Americans chose Trump. We can't blame it on gender disparity." As per an analysis by CBS News in America, fewer women voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election than they did for President Biden in 2020.
Reiterating the importance of women's choices of getting married and having children, Bhayana agrees that women should decide for themselves how they would like to lead their personal life, "However, it shouldn't be influenced by some political activity. There's nothing to do with politics and having a relationship, it's not related."
Why is the B4 movement relevant in South Korea?
In South Korea, the 4B movement is particularly significant for the country's demographic challenges and lowest fertility rates in the world, many women see the traditional idea of marriage and motherhood as not aligning with their career ambitions. This opinion has sparked both social media attention and debate, especially in the view of government policies that promote marriage and family. As of now, the 4B movement is relatively niche, with estimated support between 5,000 and 50,000. It is also due to the dissatisfaction with gender inequality in South Korea and is part of a larger wave of feminist activism across the country.
In South Korea, the movement came after the worldwide #MeToo movement and also after the escape of the corset movement, which involved women dressing androgynously. Women cut their hair short and even shaved their heads. Additionally, South Korean society adheres to strict gender roles including beauty standards. The final blow was when two women were accused of spreading the MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus) epidemic through a smear campaign in the country. People called them 'selfish' and 'flighty'. It was at this time that women came together and started the 4B movement.
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