On Nov. 5, Former President Donald Trump was re-elected to become the 47th president of the United States, sparking discourse among the masses — especially on social media. Shortly afterward, the 4B Movement went viral on TikTok in direct response to Trump’s impending presidency. But what does the 4B Movement mean, and why are so many people talking about it now?
The 4B Movement isn’t a new concept. The radical feminist movement originated in South Korea in 2019 in response to sexism and patriarchy. Started by Jung Se-young and Baeck Ha-na, the movement began as a critique of the gender roles taken in traditional marriages in South Korea. Followers of the 4B Movement live by four principles, also called the “Four Nos”: refuse to date men, get married, have sex with men, or have children. The movement gained broader recognition outside of Korea in feminist spaces on X/Twitter, and functions as an online community where folks engage in an open discussion about navigating and envisioning a future without men.
But if the 4B Movement was created in South Korea — an entirely different social and political climate — why is it becoming a topic of conversation in the United States? First and foremost, the re-election of Trump has sparked fear in millions of women across the United States, especially when it comes to their bodily autonomy. While Trump has expressed that he would veto a national ban on abortion, many women are choosing to abstain from sex entirely to keep themselves safe if a national ban was ever put in place — or if they’re in a state that has limits on the procedure. Similarly, many women are interested in the idea of no longer catering to men and contributing to the patriarchy, and that includes satisfying a man’s sexual needs.
The 4B Movement is also becoming a popular topic due in part to the overwhelming amount of men, particularly white men, that voted for Trump in the 2024 election. According to the 2024 NBC exit poll, 59% of white men voted for Trump, whereas 78% of Black men cast their vote for Harris. With millions of men voting against an administration that promised to protect women’s rights and freedoms, many women are choosing to step away from men as a whole as a protest against the patriarchy.
The 4B Movement is just one of the many feminist movements that have become increasingly popular on social media. And whether or not you choose to dive into the community or not, it’s important to recognize the roots of a movement and uplift the voices that created it.