- Joined
- Jan 17, 2010
- Messages
- 9,245
- Reaction score
- 11,751
In the wake of the US elections, American women have become increasingly wary of what Trump’s policies could mean for their future. This anxiety has fueled a surge in the 4B movement – a radical feminist stance from South Korea that advocates rejecting relationships with men.
By:Anaelle JONAH
Donald Trump’s divisive win in the US presidential elections this week has left many American women fearful for their future. The Republican victory took place amid an unparalleled conservative rollback against women’s rights, leaving many anxious about their already vulnerable personal autonomy and freedoms.
In response, many women have rallied behind the 4B movement – a radical feminist initiative that rejects marriage, dating, childbirth and having sex with men. This movement, inspired by a similar push in South Korea, has gained momentum on social media as an assertion of resistance.
A viral post on X (formerly known as Twitter) proclaimed, "Ladies, we need to start considering the 4B movement like the women in South Korea and give America a severely sharp birth rate decline: no marriage, no childbirth, no dating men, no sex with men. We can’t let these men have the last laugh … we need to bite back," garnering 20 million views and nearly 500,000 likes in 48 hours.
TikTok followed suit, with several videos advocating 4B reaching millions of views. “Girls, it’s time to boycott all men! You lost your rights, and they lost the right to hit raw! 4B movement starts now!” said one creator, whose video was viewed 3.6 million times.
One notable protest featured a woman shaving her head on camera with the caption, “4B. Delete (dating) apps, cancel your wedding, get your tubes tied.”
The sudden surge in interest has pushed "4B movement" to become one of the top-searched terms on Google, with over 500,000 searches in the past two days alone.
Baek Gaeul, editor of Radish magazine and a 4B advocate, explained, “Korean women work so hard to look good. There’s pressure to have long hair, wear makeup at work, be a certain weight, follow the latest fashion trends, and change hairstyles.” She added, “The 4B movement is essentially about refusing to make an effort to look good so as to not be an object of sexual desire.”
Despite its empowerment message, the movement has faced controversy in South Korea. In 2021, President Yoon Suk-yeol claimed that feminism was “blocking healthy relationships between men and women”.
The movement’s perceived impact on the country’s declining birth rate has fueled debates on gender roles and feminist movements, according to "The New York Times". Estimates of 4B’s reach vary widely, from 5,000 to 50,000 participants, though exact numbers are hard to pin down due to its fluid online and offline presence.
Reflecting on this achievement, Trump remarked, “What I did is something – for 52 years they’ve been trying to get Roe v. Wade into the states. And through the genius and heart and strength of six Supreme Court justices, we were able to do that,” during a debate with Kamala Harris in Philadelphia on September 10.
Breanne Fahs, a professor of women and gender studies at Arizona State University, said that 4B was "everywhere" in the US at the moment as more young women grow fearful about their reproductive rights following the elections. “They are turning to new ways to assert their agency and reclaim a sense of control over their bodies," Fahs explained to The Washington Post.
Nick Fuentes, a far-right commentator known for promoting white supremacist rhetoric, celebrated Trump’s victory on X, writing, “I’d just like to take the opportunity to thank men for saving this country from stupid bitches who wanted to destroy the world to keep abortion,” as well as, “Your body, my choice. Forever.”
Conservative social media users echoed this sentiment, with one viral post mocking the movement, saying, “Women threatening sex strikes like LMAO as if you have a say.” Another TikTok creator predicted that only “liberals” would follow 4B while conservative women would continue to have children, thereby affecting future demographics in their favour. “I support your movement,” she added sarcastically.
Despite criticism, the 4B movement continues to gain traction in America, serving as a rallying point for women disillusioned with the election outcome and determined to find new forms of protest.
As Fahs noted, “We should never be surprised when these kinds of catastrophic collisions produce in women a general refusal to play along with traditional gender roles.”
https://www.france24.com/en/america...ement-is-gaining-traction-after-trump-victory
By:Anaelle JONAH
Donald Trump’s divisive win in the US presidential elections this week has left many American women fearful for their future. The Republican victory took place amid an unparalleled conservative rollback against women’s rights, leaving many anxious about their already vulnerable personal autonomy and freedoms.
In response, many women have rallied behind the 4B movement – a radical feminist initiative that rejects marriage, dating, childbirth and having sex with men. This movement, inspired by a similar push in South Korea, has gained momentum on social media as an assertion of resistance.
A viral post on X (formerly known as Twitter) proclaimed, "Ladies, we need to start considering the 4B movement like the women in South Korea and give America a severely sharp birth rate decline: no marriage, no childbirth, no dating men, no sex with men. We can’t let these men have the last laugh … we need to bite back," garnering 20 million views and nearly 500,000 likes in 48 hours.
TikTok followed suit, with several videos advocating 4B reaching millions of views. “Girls, it’s time to boycott all men! You lost your rights, and they lost the right to hit raw! 4B movement starts now!” said one creator, whose video was viewed 3.6 million times.
One notable protest featured a woman shaving her head on camera with the caption, “4B. Delete (dating) apps, cancel your wedding, get your tubes tied.”
The sudden surge in interest has pushed "4B movement" to become one of the top-searched terms on Google, with over 500,000 searches in the past two days alone.
From South Korea to the US
Short for "Four Nos", the 4B movement (4非) advocates the rejection of marriage, dating, childbirth and sex with men as a response to deep-rooted misogyny and gender violence. The movement originated in South Korea, bolstered by the #MeToo movement and opposition to the pervasive issue of illegal filming of women.Baek Gaeul, editor of Radish magazine and a 4B advocate, explained, “Korean women work so hard to look good. There’s pressure to have long hair, wear makeup at work, be a certain weight, follow the latest fashion trends, and change hairstyles.” She added, “The 4B movement is essentially about refusing to make an effort to look good so as to not be an object of sexual desire.”
Despite its empowerment message, the movement has faced controversy in South Korea. In 2021, President Yoon Suk-yeol claimed that feminism was “blocking healthy relationships between men and women”.
The movement’s perceived impact on the country’s declining birth rate has fueled debates on gender roles and feminist movements, according to "The New York Times". Estimates of 4B’s reach vary widely, from 5,000 to 50,000 participants, though exact numbers are hard to pin down due to its fluid online and offline presence.
The ghost of Roe v. Wade
The growing concern among American women can be traced back to Trump’s track record on reproductive rights. The Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending nearly five decades of constitutional protection for abortion rights, came after the Trump administration named three conservative judges to the court and tipped its balance. The ruling shifted the power to regulate abortion to individual states, leading to extensive restrictions.
Reflecting on this achievement, Trump remarked, “What I did is something – for 52 years they’ve been trying to get Roe v. Wade into the states. And through the genius and heart and strength of six Supreme Court justices, we were able to do that,” during a debate with Kamala Harris in Philadelphia on September 10.
Breanne Fahs, a professor of women and gender studies at Arizona State University, said that 4B was "everywhere" in the US at the moment as more young women grow fearful about their reproductive rights following the elections. “They are turning to new ways to assert their agency and reclaim a sense of control over their bodies," Fahs explained to The Washington Post.
‘Your body, my choice’
Unsurprisingly, far-right figures have seized the opportunity to mock and dismiss the concerns driving the movement.Nick Fuentes, a far-right commentator known for promoting white supremacist rhetoric, celebrated Trump’s victory on X, writing, “I’d just like to take the opportunity to thank men for saving this country from stupid bitches who wanted to destroy the world to keep abortion,” as well as, “Your body, my choice. Forever.”
Conservative social media users echoed this sentiment, with one viral post mocking the movement, saying, “Women threatening sex strikes like LMAO as if you have a say.” Another TikTok creator predicted that only “liberals” would follow 4B while conservative women would continue to have children, thereby affecting future demographics in their favour. “I support your movement,” she added sarcastically.
Despite criticism, the 4B movement continues to gain traction in America, serving as a rallying point for women disillusioned with the election outcome and determined to find new forms of protest.
As Fahs noted, “We should never be surprised when these kinds of catastrophic collisions produce in women a general refusal to play along with traditional gender roles.”
https://www.france24.com/en/america...ement-is-gaining-traction-after-trump-victory
