Recently, the femmes of the world have come across a seemingly new term in the realm of dating. The foreign “4B movement” has gone viral online and spread like wildfire as women discover the liberation within the concept. There are even countless TikTok videos that have exploded in popularity due to the viral dating trend. Stemming from South Korea, millions of women around the world are investing in this game-changing lifestyle known as the 4B movement. Let’s dive deeper.
So, What Is the 4B Movement?
This specific feminist movement did not come from a popular romcom or content creator. It came from a digital collection of women all in the same country wanting to fight back against unjust powers. The movement came from such a high level of discontent with how things were in society that an entire trend started.
The term 4B movement stems from South Korea. where misogyny and patriarchy are so rampant (much like many other cultures) that the women have been choosing to opt out of dating men. Instead of trying to beat the patriarchy, South Korean women began exiting the system.
The roots of this trend can be traced back to 2018, when it gained popularity. Korean women publicly rejected beauty standards by shaving their heads and going out barefaced. Although, in today’s world, liberating big chops and wearing no makeup is nearly a norm. But it was not a norm at that time or in Korean culture.
The title of the 4B movement is derived from multiple Korean words that start with bi- (which translates to “no”). All of these relate to the rejection of assumed roles for women. The first b is bihon which means refusing heterosexual marriage. Bichulsan and Biyeonae mean the refusal of childbirth and dating, respectively. Bisekseu is the final word, which means rejection of heterosexual sexual relationships.
Is the 4B Movement Working?
The movement makes a point to reject dating, marriage, sex with or having the children of men. These things are factors that could halt whole societies and in general, slow down birth rates. This change, in the point of view of governments, health organizations and greater society could help make major changes. The movement could open the floor to discussions for changes in law, policy and even culture. So far, it has advocated for the rights of women in a real impactful way. The movement boycotts sexism and inequality that women all over the world face every day.
Along with other dating mantras like “if he wanted to he would”, the new term leans away from taking responsibility for less-than-desirable partnerships. Instead of accepting the bare minimum, women are taking back their power to say no. Choosing themselves and their well-being over all else.
How Does It Impact Ex-pats and Visitors?
There are also the South Korean women who are choosing themselves when it comes to dating culture, but in a different way. They’re dating and marrying foreigners. Expats who travel to Korea for school or work have contributed to an uptick in marriages filed over the last year. A statistic that has been on a steady decline, particularly since the launch of the 4B movement in 2018, has now seen an increase.
Travel YouTuber Isis Williams speaks to this as a result of living and dating in South Korea before getting into a relationship with her current boyfriend. She shares that feminism still impacts the experiences of young women whether coupled or single as it’s become a trigger for most young men.
While the 4B movement demonstration was a form of online activism, women everywhere can model their lifestyle after it. Modern women can choose to take one, two, three or even all four of the B’s from the movement and implement them into their lives. The key element of the movement is encouraging and amplifying the autonomy of women. As long as they feel like applying the principles improves their life, then that is all women need to know to determine if the movement is working.