The election was a dark day for women across the entire world, but especially in America. Since then, I’ve seen so many women decide how they’re going to defend themselves from his policies that will deny them basic healthcare. One of which is by taking part in the 4B movement which many women feel particularly empowered by after Trump’s re-election. But, what is the 4B movement and why do so many women think it’s essential today?
What is the 4B movement?
@novabunnyy started in south korea. now in america? yas. #4b #4bmovement #jesusisking ♬ LABOUR – the cacophony – Paris Paloma
The 4B movement is a feminist movement which encourages women to abstain from dating, marrying, having sex with or having children with men. It began in South Korea in 2019 where sexism and gender-based violence are rife, and 4,000 women claimed to be practising members in its founding year. Now, that number is a lot bigger.
Their main goal is to use a dropping birth rate as a form of protest against the way they are treated. With the rise of the far right, the rise of the 4B movement has skyrocketed too.
Trump’s re-election meant two things for women living in America. The first is that the American people would rather have a convicted felon as a President than a qualified woman, and the second is that over 70 million people in America decided women losing their rights wasn’t a dealbreaker for them. It’s no surprise to see why women in America are REALLY angry.
@girl_dumphim I am opting out ladies. I hope you join me. #internalizedmisogony #4bmovement #thepatriarchy #feministiktok ♬ original sound – Maria 🎨🐱💙
TikTok user girl_dumphim is one of the leading voices of the American 4B movement and has even taken to shaving her head as a political statement against appealing to men who vote her rights away. She explained she was cutting off her hair as a response to the patriarchy who “clearly don’t give a s**t about us.”
She described herself as “crazy just like all the women before me.”
Why are women terrified of living in Trump’s America?
I don’t need to remind you of what it was like the last time Trump was in power, but this time around seems even more terrifying for women. Not only have American women already lost the protected right to abortion, but far-right Republicans have been circulating a terrifying 922-page document called Project 2025.
Some of the main policies of Project 2025 include the elimination of the Department of Education, rejecting the idea of abortion as healthcare, stripping back of LGBTQ+ rights, ending climate projections and using the military to shut down large protests.
Trump repeatedly disavowed the project after serious backlash on some of its extreme policies but dozens of former officials from the last Trump cabinet, including many who might now serve again, contributed to the proposals.
Without guaranteed access to basic reproductive healthcare, American women are rightly terrified of engaging with men in any way that could alter the course of their future. That’s why so many are turning to the 4B movement after Trump’s re-election – it’s not out of spite, it’s out of protecting themselves.
