Following President-elect Donald Trump’s recent win over his second female challenger, a renewed interest has emerged in an online movement focused on boycotting men.
Known as the 4B movement, this initiative began in South Korea as a feminist response to patriarchal systems and has gained significant traction across social media platforms. Since the election results, related hashtags have seen a surge, with thousands of videos advocating for this cause circulating online.
The 4B movement represents four specific rejections: no dating men, no marriage, no children, and no sex with men, according to Bustle. In Korean, each principle begins with “bi,” a prefix meaning “no” in English. Supporters view this approach as a form of resistance to societal structures that foster gender inequality.
The 4B movement resurges in the U.S. as a response to ongoing gender inequality
This movement initially took root in South Korea around 2019, despite the rise of anti-feminist sentiments following the conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol’s election. Women began adopting these practices informally, and many reported feeling empowered by the newfound autonomy, Bustle noted.
Nicole Dular, a philosophy professor at Notre Dame of Maryland University, highlighted the social factors fueling the movement. She explained that understanding the historical context of feminist movements clarifies why the 4B philosophy resonates deeply with many women who see it as a practical step toward liberation.
Dular cited the gender wage gap and the unequal distribution of labor within relationships as key reasons why women are drawn to the 4B movement, describing it as a “labor strike” against inequitable dynamics.
The 4B movement, while already present in the U.S., gained renewed attention following Trump’s re-election, as gender-related issues remained prominent in the election debates. Reproductive rights, abortion access, and other gender equity issues were focal points of Vice President Harris’s campaign, resonating strongly with voters.
Trump’s previous judicial appointments to the Supreme Court led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, stripping federal protections for abortion and intensifying challenges for women in states with strict regulations.
Allegations of sexual misconduct against Trump by numerous women have further motivated individuals to embrace a movement like 4B as a form of protest. In response to Trump’s second term, American women have taken to social media, urging others to join the 4B movement.
“The best way for women to resist is to support #4BMovement,” one user posted on X. Others echoed the sentiment, encouraging American women to adopt the 4B philosophy as a means of impacting society and resisting male-dominated power structures.
