Although the majority of modern human societies follow a patriarchal organization, feminism — an ideology advocating equality for all genders — works against these man-led norms. In the late 2010s, a seemingly radical branch of South Korea’s feminist population, inspired by the Escape the Corset movement, introduced the 4B protests, which advocated for four no’s against traditional gender norms. The four B’s originate from the Korean words bisekseu, bichulsan, biyeonae and bihon, meaning no sex with men, no childbirth, no dating men and no marriage to men respectively. Shortly following the movement’s inception, it spread to China, whose feminists transformed it into the 6B4t movement by adding the boycott of sexist products and supporting other single women as well as rejecting beauty standards, hypersexual depictions of women, religion and idol culture.
The movement’s association with rejection of gender roles, while expected, can leave certain participants uncomfortable in conservative communities that might value romance and child-rearing highly. This could lead participants into magnified feelings of ridicule and isolation already present when one avoids romance.
“I think the uncertainty when it comes to whether we’ll still have reproductive rights has caused these women to not take any risks, but I think there’s a risk of being ostracized by family and friends for not having kids, especially in more religious communities. There’s also a risk of violence which mainly comes from open protest. Like if you were to do it quietly, many may not take offense, yet there is always the possibility of being attacked when you openly protest,” magnet junior Allore Walters said.
The 2024 election featured the first female, Black and Asian Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate who faced off against former President Donald Trump. For women and girls across the country and world, the prospect of electing the U.S.’s first woman president shone as a beacon of light in feminist’s long-fought efforts for equality. Unfortunately for these hopeful women, Trump beat out Harris for the seat as president-elect.
Following the 2024 election results, American women and media began to discuss the 4B movement as a protest against Trump’s sweeping win. Due to a jury convicting the former President of sexual abuse, in the form of what people generally consider rape as of last year, these women worry about the president-elect’s character and views of women as people. Trump’s professional history bolsters these worries because, during his 2016 to 2020 term, the former president packed the Supreme Court with conservative justices. The six to three majority overturned 1973’s Roe v. Wade, the court case that cemented American women’s right to abortion. Since the case’s common law fell, women’s deaths from pregnancy-related complications have appeared in news source after news source, eliciting anger from pro-choice individuals. Amid this mess of sexual abuse and gendered deaths, feminist women and gender-nonconforming individuals seek a way to peacefully protest a decision they view unfavorably.
Although talks about the 4B movement in the U.S. still exist abstractly, in part due to the short time that Trump has spent as president-elect, groups of women have made concrete, visible changes to emphasize their bodily autonomy. Certain women have shaved their heads in protest while calls for hysterectomies and break-ups with Republican boyfriends echo in the ears of social media users.
“I just wish and hope every woman in this movement stays safe. You are more powerful than what others tell you. Being a woman is one of the most beautiful and powerful things in the world, so love yourself and know your worth because you’re just as important as anyone else in the world,” senior Kayli Washington said.
The 4B movement may help alter men’s treatment of women in certain communities, however, its effectiveness rests in numbers. As women look toward another term for Trump, these fifth-wave suffragettes must band together to fight for their beliefs.
