In the wake of Republican Donald Trump’s 2024 US election victory, a storm of online vitriol and sexism has been unleashed against American women, prompting a call for the adoption of the South Korean feminist movement ‘4B’. This radical movement, known as the ‘four nos’, urges women to abstain from sexual relations, dating, marriage, and childbirth with men until equality is achieved.
The surge in online abuse and harassment towards women has been documented by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), a non-profit organization dedicated to combating extremism. According to ISD data, Trump’s win has emboldened ‘manosphere’ influencers, interconnected misogynistic online communities, to unleash their anger against perceived women-centric social policies such as reproductive rights and gender equality. These influencers view Trump’s victory as a rejection of these policies and are using the election result as a justification to more openly and aggressively promote narratives aimed at curbing women’s rights.
This online backlash has taken many forms, with rape threats like “your body, my choice” and mocking posts like “get back to the kitchen” trending on social media platforms like TikTok and X (formerly Twitter). The phrase “your body, my choice,” popularized by white nationalist Nick Fuentes, saw a staggering 4,600% increase in usage on November 6th, according to ISD data. His post, which has garnered over 76 million views, is a direct co-option of the 1960s feminist movement slogan “my body, my choice,” a slogan that gained renewed prominence in 2022 after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that protected federal abortion rights.
The harassment has extended beyond online spaces, with reports of real-life incidents in schools and university campuses where boys are chanting “your body, my choice” at girls and their parents.
This escalating climate of hostility has led many American women, particularly those active online, to seek solace and solidarity in the South Korean feminist movement ‘4B’. This movement, which calls for women to refuse sex, dating, marriage, and childbearing with men until equality is achieved, has resonated with women feeling the brunt of the backlash against progressive social policies. Posts advocating for the adoption of ‘4B’ in America have garnered millions of views on social media, with some users sharing their experiences of online abuse and emphasizing the need for collective action.
The ‘4B’ movement represents a significant cultural shift, showcasing a growing resistance to the traditional patriarchal structures that have long defined gender roles and relationships. It remains to be seen how this movement will evolve and whether it will achieve its stated goals of achieving gender equality. However, its growing popularity, particularly in the wake of Trump’s election, signals a growing discontent among women and a desire for systemic change.
