This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s senior fall editorial intern Lauren Sanchez. Find her on Instagram at @lauren.sanchezz. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
In a world where women’s rights seem to face new challenges daily, the results of the 2024 election have sparked an intense global conversation around reproductive rights and bodily autonomy. For many women, these political shifts aren’t just headlines but a wake-up call. As new restrictions on abortion and reproductive health resurface across the United States, a fresh wave of activism and personal reclamation has emerged, urging women to reevaluate their relationships with societal norms, and, in some cases, with men altogether. Enter the 4B Movement: a growing collective of women choosing to redefine their lives through a new kind of radical independence.
In short, the movement defines itself by women forgoing traditional relationships, marriage, and even childbirth, while taking a bold stand for ownership of their bodies, futures, and decisions completely. But what does the 4B movement actually entail? And how are women across the globe participating in it? Let’s dive deep into what the 4B movement is all about!
How Did The 4B Movement Actually Start?
The 4B Movement, which started stirring in South Korea during the 2010s, stands for four key “no’s”: no marriage, no childbirth, no dating, and no sex with men. It’s shorthand for the Korean terms “bihon,” “bichulsan,” “biyeonae,” and “bisekseu,” each representing a deliberate step away from traditional expectations placed on women. By 2019, this movement had gained major traction as women in South Korea confronted deeply rooted gender inequalities that impact everything from relationships to career opportunities.
Initially rising in feminist circles and across social media, 4B emerged amid a surge of protests against the violence and gender biases South Korean women face daily. A 2018 report revealed a troubling reality: over 800 women had lost their lives to intimate partner violence in less than a decade, with hundreds more at risk. These realities are compounded by economic inequality—South Korean men still earn, on average, over 30% more than their female counterparts. Add to that a low and still-dropping birthrate (down to just 0.72 children per woman in 2023), and many women are saying “no” to the pressure of marriage and motherhood in a society that too often asks them to sacrifice their independence.
Why Is The Movement Growing in The United States Now?
Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which shifted the power over abortion rights to individual states, women’s reproductive freedoms have been on shaky ground nationwide. Some states acted quickly, securing abortion protections within their Constitutions and laws, while others moved in the opposite direction, imposing total bans, restricting access to healthcare centers, and even criminalizing women and healthcare providers involved in abortion care.
But the catalyst for the spark of this movement in the United States soon became apparent as the news broke of Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election this week, rallying young women across the country to turn to social media platforms like TikTok and X and encouraging them to look to the 4B Movement for ways to boycott patriarchal norms.
“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,” says X user @lalisasaura, writing in a post that has now garnered over 471,000 likes and 21 million impressions. “We can’t let these men have the last laugh… we need to bite back.”
Some women are newly discovering the movement and pledging to join, while those already in relationships are finding their own ways to push back – boycotting male-owned businesses, refusing to shoulder emotional labor, and embracing solidarity in everyday acts of protest. But In today’s digital age, the core ideas of the 4B Movement have already started to resonate deeply with American women who feel the Trump era, alongside the attacks on women’s rights across the country, has set back cultural, social, and political progress for women – not just in the government, but within their social circles.
Skepticism And Criticism Of This Movement
While the 4B movement has sparked a surge of empowerment among many women, it hasn’t been without its fair share of criticism. For some, the movement’s rejection of traditional relationships, marriage, and motherhood feels too extreme, even disillusioned. Skeptics argue that opting out of societal norms could alienate women from the very structures that can offer them support and stability.
Critics also question the movement’s broader implications – particularly the notion that women can or should “opt-out” of traditional roles altogether. Others worry that the 4B philosophy might unintentionally fuel a divide between women who choose different paths, creating a sense of “us vs. them” in the fight for gender equality.
And even across women, some women even set strict boundaries about who could fully participate in the movement. A growing sentiment among certain circles is that women with boyfriends or partners simply can’t embrace the movement in its truest form. And for these women, the 4B principles aren’t just a rejection of societal expectations – they’re a call for complete independence, free from emotional and physical ties to men. As a result, some have argued that those who are still in relationships – or even casually dating – are not in a position to fully align with the movement’s ideals.
Is The Movement Worth Participating In?
Without getting too personal, as someone who is an extreme advocate for the rights of women everywhere and someone who has many friends being directly by the consequences of Roe v. Wade being overturned and the attack on women’s rights – I definitely think the movement is worth participating in.
Is it realistic to completely boycott all men? Probably not. However, the true spirit of this movement is about women coming together as a collective – strengthening bonds between women, supporting women-owned businesses, prioritizing self-care and cultivating identities that are independent of men. It’s about empowering one another and challenging patriarchal norms in ways that uplift women and create a more supportive, self-sustaining community. And I am all for that in every which way!
What do you think about the 4B Movement? Are you planning to participate in it? Let us know in the comments below!
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