What is the 4B movement and why are sex strikes and shaved heads trending on TikTok?

A radical feminist movement—which began in South Korea and is sweeping across America in the wake of Trump’s election—sees women taking a stand against the patriarchy and gender inequality by swearing off men entirely.

What is the 4B movement? 

The basic idea of the 4B movement is that women swear off heterosexual marriage, dating, sex and childbirth. The origins are unclear, or at least contested, with some outlets claiming the movement—which mostly exists online out of women’s fear over their safety—began around 2018 after a spate of spycam and revenge porn cases. Others, such as the news aggregation site Impact, claim 4B began in 2016 after a woman was killed in a public bathroom by a man whose defence was “I did it because women have always ignored me”. Whatever the catalyst, what is clear is that women in South Korea have been using the movement to protest gender-based violence, misogyny, abuse and oppression.

What does 4B mean?

The four ‘Bs’ or four ‘Nos’ mean: No sex (with men), No childbirth, No heterosexual dating, and No marriage (South Korea does not legally recognise same-sex marriage).

The ‘Bs’ that make up 4B refer to the Korean prefix “bi-” which means “no”.

Why are women in America joining the 4B movement?

According to The Guardian, Google searches for “4B” spiked by 450% on the day that Trump was elected. Since then, women have taken to social media to declare their allegiance to what is being dubbed the anti-men movement. “The women in South Korea are doing it. It’s time we join them. Men will NOT be rewarded, nor have access to our bodies,” wrote one X user. “american women, looks like it’s time to get influenced by korea’s 4b movement,” said another.

On the flipside, men, such as the multi-hyphenate (anti-semitic, ultra-conservative) content creator Nick Fuentes garnered a horrifying 50.7k likes for his viral tweet “Your body, my choice. Forever”. On the same Elon Musk-owned platform (which women have also been deactivating in droves due to Musk’s steadfast allegiance to Trump), Fuentes declared, “I’d just like to take the opportunity to thank men for saving this country from stupid bitches who wanted to destroy the world to keep abortion”.

In a deep dive into how the Trump campaign courted and co-opted conservative young male influencers, The Face reported that, as per data shared by the Wall Street Journal, young men decisively voted for Trump. In 2020, men aged 18 – 29 voted for Joe Biden by 15 points; in 2024, that same group was up +13 for Trump.

It speaks to the gaping gender divide between Gen Z young women and girls and Gen Z young men and boys and the openly misogynistic brand of manhood that is targeting—and winning over—Gen Z males. It’s not just happening stateside, earlier this year, a study this year revealed that one in six British men aged 16-29 believe feminism has done more harm than good and that Gen Z boys and men think of feminism more negatively than any other generation.

Another insight into the jubilant misogyny on full display following Trump’s re-election: “We control your bodies. Guess what, guys win again, okay. Men win again … There will never ever be a female President. It’s over. Glass ceiling? It’s a ceiling made of fucking bricks.” This, again, from white supremacist Nick Fuentes, demonstrates in no uncertain terms the sheer, snarling hatred for women. Can we really be surprised that women want to distance themselves from the opposite sex? Sure, swearing off men might make for a quick means of expressing your disavowal of Trump’s election—given that he’s been accused of sexual assault by 26 women and holds 34 felony counts—but it also speaks pretty succinctly to how dangerous it is to be a woman today.

According to the World Health Organisation, globally, over a quarter of women aged 15–49 who have been in a relationship have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner at least once in their lifetime (since age 15). The same report reveals that worldwide as many as 38% of all murders of women are committed by intimate partners. Dating is undoubtedly dangerous.

In the week since Trump’s election, misogyny—no longer confined to the ‘manosphere’—has run rampant. Social media is awash with violent sexual statements like “we own your bodies now”. This is not mere disdain towards women being displayed, this is outright hatred. Of course, there are plenty of good men out there, many of them have spoken out against the rising misogyny since last week’s election and more still didn’t vote for Trump at all. But with a growing number so actively and aggressively anti-women, can we really be surprised that some women want nothing to do with any of them?

And while sex strikes might sound radical, it’s hardly a new concept. There’s a long and storied history of women withholding sex as a means of protest. The Ancient Greek play Lysistrata is thought to include the earliest mention of a sex strike when the eponymous character incites women to withhold sex until there’s a peaceful end to the Peloponnesian War. More recently, celebrities like Julia Fox, Khloé Kardashian, and Tiffany Haddish have championed voluntary celibacy.

When Trump was first elected eight years ago, women took to the streets in record numbers to denounce his presidency. There were placards emblazoned with “Not my president” and—in a cruel twist of irony now that the statement has been subverted by far-right radicals—“My body, my choice”. In the UK, 250,000 people marched through London to protest Trump’s upcoming official state visit. Of course, he visited anyway and now, eight years later, he’s set to make the White House his home once more despite all those marches, all the organising and vocal outcry. No wonder so many women are ready to try a different approach. It remains to be seen the effect and outcome of the 4B movement, but one thing is for certain, women have always—and will always—find ways to fight against the forces that try to oppress us. The tactics may change, but the steely resolve of women can never be shaken.