Society
What’s in Store for Us With the Rise of the 4B Movement?
It was Sir Isaac Newton that said, “every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” Broken down by the most recent United States presidential election results, there is a rise of women that are opting to join the 4B Movement.
But what is this, exactly? And what does it mean for society?
What Is the 4B Movement?
The 4B Movement first originated in South Korea around 2017 to 2018. There are four principles to it: Bisekseu (no heterosexual sex), Biyeonae (no heterosexual dating), Bichulsan (no childbirth), and Bihon (no heterosexual marriage).
South Korean women, tired of the gender discrimination that permeates their society, invented the movement to break away from the patriarchy. Now, years later, American women are catching up.
In the United States, many feel outraged after a vast majority voted Donald Trump back into office. This is the same Trump who is not only guilty of sexual abuse, but is also consistently vague on the topic of abortion and reproductive rights.
Then there are prominent Trump supporters like far-right political activist Nick Fuentes, who post sexist remarks on X, like “your body, my choice.” As these compounds, many women now vow to avoid men while encouraging others to do the same.
What Does the 4B Movement Hope to Achieve?
It’s too soon to tell if this movement will actually take off in the US. But since it has sparked a lot of discussion among women online, let’s see what the movement may achieve or inspire us to do:
Implement Gender Equality
Given that the 4B movement came about due to gender discrimination, it goes without saying that this calls for a more serious approach to equality.
In fact, according to a study posted in PubMed Central, US women report encountering pervasive discrimination in public, private, or governmental institutions in a variety of spheres of their lives. This includes the workplace, higher education, health care, and interpersonal interactions through harassment, microaggressions, and gender slurs.
For healthier relationships, it’s ideal to confront biases, empower and support women in leadership roles while fostering diversity.
Stress the Value of Women’s Reproductive Rights
In connection with gender equality, it’s critical that each of us make an effort to educate one other about the importance of women’s reproductive rights.
This offers many advantages, including greater economic well-being, better health outcomes, less teen pregnancy, enhanced educational and economic outcomes for children, and the promotion of bodily autonomy.
Remember: there is no one more qualified to make decisions about their bodies than the individuals who own them.
Love With Foreign Women
While women in the US figure out how to approach this political and societal issue, this could be a good opportunity for men to find love with foreign women.
According to the most recent ImmigrationProf Blog, 12.4% of Americans get married to someone overseas. Moreover, according to the 2019 Philippine Marriage Statistics, the largest percentage of foreign weddings among Filipino women were with American men (26.8%).
While these figures show that American men have long looked to foreign women for love, the 4B movement might be the indicator for those hesitating to date outside the US that the time to make the leap is now.
Unfortunately, the idea of a “sex strike” like the 4B movement is not new. The recent election is one reason for the increase in feminist ideals among American women and the ensuing male backlash.
While we all work through this, it’s critical to consider how this movement can challenge us to improve going forward.
References:
Immigration Prof. (2023). “WaPo Stats on International Marriage Rates.” ImmigrationProf Blog.
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2023/07/wapo-stats-on-international-marriage-rates.html
Malig, K. (2021). “Most Filipinos with foreign spouses are married to this nationality.” GMA News.
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/familyandrelationships/771441/most-filipinos-with-foreign-spouses-are-married-to-this-nationality/story/
SteelFisher et al. (2019). “Gender discrimination in the United States: Experiences of women.” pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6864374/#:~:text=Sizable%20fractions%20of%20women%20experience,higher%20education%20(20%20percent).
