The 4B Movement Has an Intersectionality Problem in the West.
SPOILER! ‘One-Size-Fits-All’ Doesn’t Apply in Praxis.
So, did it finally happen?
Did we find our ‘fix’?
For all the violent misogyny and sexual, physical and emotional abuse, it seems like an easily understood, finite solution that is simple enough (in theory) has been brought to the table. Radical feminists have been discussing separatism for years in other countries, as it was in the origin country for the 4B movement and the baseline for today’s topic. Nevertheless, it appears that the notion of ‘A world without men’ as dubbed one time by ‘The Cut’, is far more appealing in the face of current circumstances than previous patriarchal notions and weaponised fears of ‘you’ll be forty and all alone’ that used to haunt the minds of straight young girls and women everywhere, even as they habitually swallowed the trauma inflicted by their potential ‘life partners’.
The practice of painful tolerance has been normalised for centuries in cultures all around the world, even if some of us considered ourselves and our political playground far too progressive to live in an environment that would necessarily give rise to movements like this one. But then, when our own freedoms continued to be threatened (explicitly), I began to see an increasing number of videos discussing the elusive 4B movement, practised by women all over Korea as they sought to promote real change through the act of complete withdrawal from interactions with their male counterparts.
The Four No’s
The 4B Movement in South Korea arose as a reaction to entrenched gender inequality, economic burdens, and shifting social values, encouraging women to forgo 1) Dating, 2) Marriage, 3) Childbirth, and 4) Relationships with men. In a climate that constantly pressures women to prioritise family roles over their careers whilst offering limited advancement and financial independence for women, disengaging with men generally appeared the safer option. Often referred to as “Hell Joseon,” the nation’s economic challenges compound concerns with gender inequality, as marriage and family life are seen as financially demanding rather than secure.
Alongside #MeToo and #EscapeTheCorset, 4B began to empower women to reject these restrictive norms, providing solidarity and encouraging self-empowerment. Rising gender tensions and a broader cultural shift toward "Honjok," or solo lifestyles, have further reinforced the movement. In the wider context, the 4B Movement aligns with global trends, such as Japan’s "Herbivore Men" and Western single-positivity movements, where we’ve seen that opting out of traditional roles can be both empowering and self-preserving.
You could see the inspiration lit up in the eyes of women so far removed from the origins of the movement as they would speak about it. How insane was the notion of withholding romance, sex and marriage from men in an effort to force a change in behaviour, and how very popular it became too. Following on from the movement to ‘decentre men’, came the 4B movement as it arrived on the western front, presenting itself as the last piece in the puzzle to solve gender inequality. But we know by now how easily political theory often falls victim to a game of Chinese whispers once it makes its way through the digital sphere. Somehow its origin, purpose and applicability got skewed through our lenses, and par the course found itself stripped down and then dressed up, so that it might sound and look more aesthetic in slide show videos scored by Paris Paloma’s ‘Labour’.
But over the discussion amongst women of a way out, in came men with megaphones, further emboldened by the rise of red-pill podcast culture and Trumps *second* election to shout,
“Your body, my choice”.
And so it seemed like even the sceptics were putting off their engagements, relationships and visions of their lives as ‘somebody's wife’, having seen the reality (and the voting statistics) surrounding the true extent of a male willingness to impose on their autonomy.
For the most part, the advocates of the movement emerging out of the Western world all happened to look the same. Rarely have I noticed black women, other women of colour or women from Korea discussing the movement, (unless they were criticising the way it has been co-opted). The one video I did see of a Korean woman talking about the movement shed light on the false perception of its widespread nature in Korea following the familiar bout of sensationalism from our media outlets. In reality, the movement has gained traction primarily among young, urban, educated South Korean women though it remains a niche rather than a mainstream choice. While it’s true the movement aligns with broader trends of individualism, not everyone who opts out of marriage or family identifies with all four principles of the 4B Movement. It is largely a vocal minority, active in online feminist circles, where members amplify their views, leading to a mixed public response. Some see it as an empowering stance against societal norms, while of course, you have those that use 4B as a cautionary tale of what angry, single women look like as it seeks to undermine traditional values, kind of like our own ‘blue-haired feminist’.
Theoretically, it’s not impossible to maximise the movement in the US and the UK for example, even if it hasn’t entered the mainstream in Korea. But as per usual, I’ll be that person alongside other black women sitting in the class, to raise my hand in a sea of white ones and ask…
‘What about intersectionality?’
What does 4B look like for black women, (in reality)?
Historically, we know that black Americans have been economically disadvantaged systemically, whether this looks like redlining, educational inequalities or employment discrimination. As such, it has become harder for black people to build wealth on their own over the years without communal support. Luckily, we’re witnessing active efforts to combat financial trauma within the community, with black women ensuring to educate themselves and maintain financial stability in record numbers. Recognising their dual-oppression, seeking autonomy that looked like self-reliance isn’t new for us at all. And yet, racial wealth disparities continue to exist because of those factors mentioned previously, which unfortunately, remain pervasive in the community despite all our efforts, due to the ways in which these factors are the result of an intentional effort to divide the black family, and subsequently weaken the black dollar.
Contrastingly, the face of the movement, as white as she is, is protected by her whiteness even in the event that she becomes separate from the men around her romantically. While white women may have wealthier family structures to fall back on (e.g., family-owned assets or inherited wealth), we have been denied this safety net, where economic precarity within Black communities means that collective support is often more vital for survival and security. Consequentially, separatist movements like 4B, which emphasise individualism and detachment from traditional structures, may leave Black women without essential community or family support, reinforcing economic vulnerability.
Following the election, women are reflecting on the ways in which the men in their communities have helped to put them at an increased risk of danger. Where 60% of white men voted for Trump, the biggest threat to white womanhood appears to be their proximity to them. However, when we consider that 53% of white women voted Republican compared to 21% of black men, our biggest threat lies where it always has, with women whose politics aim to protect themselves first and foremost.
Nia Ola on TikTok summarises the problem with the widespread application of the 4B movement by reminding us of one simple consideration when it comes to resistance,
“Do you have the same aims as your ‘allies’, do your consequences look the same?”
“We are not in South Korea”,she says,“You are not a homogenous population with very similar demographics working toward an aim with very similar men. We have to remember (…) that gender could never bridge the gap of racial power, they are not equal, we are under a white colonial structure (…) whiteness trumps all, and that understanding is what you’re living in the fallout of. I’m not saying they[our men]don’t need work, they do. But we can deal with them in house”.
In considering the racial wealth gap and how it applies here, this brings me onto my next concern,
‘What about intersectionality?’
How are we limiting our praxis when we mistake our problem for being strictly one of gender, rather than class?
The ways in which politics is inseparable from capitalism in our model of ‘democracy’ presents it’s own complications when we aim to combat an attack on female autonomy via gender separatism exclusively.
In this years election cycle, some of the wealthiest entities like Amazon, Walmart and FedEx were some of Trump’s largest donors, where their contributions play a crucial role in funding advertising. Hiring staff, legal and compliance costs, and most importantly. increasing voter outreach. As such, I wonder whether we might learn something from the success of boycotting thusfar, and intentionally begin to boycott companies that contribute to systemic female oppression. Where women might make a point of withdrawing financial support from these companies directly after the election, we begin to threaten republican supporters in the only language they seem to understand.
(Always follow the money…)
In the same vain, we’ve seen where rich women are able to evade the consequences of right-wing legislature, as many of us recognised with abortion bans, as wealthier women found themselves ‘on holiday’ in states that had managed to keep abortion legal, whilst voting red in line with their own economic interests, ensuring that even if the 4B movement were practised on a mass scale, a large percentage of rich women wouldn’t find themselves so compelled to separate themselves from their spouses.
When we hear that Nara Smith voted for Trump, this should come as no surprise whatsoever. Even if she is a woman, even if she is a black woman, her wealth separates her from the consequences of a Trump presidency. Why so many were able to look past the obvious markers of traditionalism and conservatism is beyond me, they were quite literally screaming at you.
The 4B movement is more useful to us in checking the temperature when it comes to the willingness to resist patriarchal norms far more than it serves as a tangible approach to liberation. Movements born from a specific set of cultural and social contexts don’t do well when we try to translate them seamlessly across borders, both geographically and regarding class, race and economic structures.
Past that warm feeling we get when we see that, generally, we are willing to endure (or thrive in) a world without men, before we’re willing to sacrifice ourselves, we have to for once consider the intersecting identities that inform political resistance. If we don’t, to put it simply,
This ‘fix’ will fail.
SOURCES
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-elections/exit-polls NBC NEWS, POLL DEMOGRAPHICS
https://www.opensecrets.org/2024-presidential-race/donald-trump/contributors?cycle=2024&id=N00023864&src=c&type=f OPENSECRETS, TRUMP’S TOP CONTRIBUTORS
Your take about on this discussion is incredible and well thought out. However I think it is important to consider the idea that the 4B movement may also be a trend or temporary at least in the western sphere. I believe that radical movements such as these arise from the fear and dissonance marginalised groups experience once they realise society has not changed as much as they have believe it to have changed. It’s a temporary method of resistance, an empty threat.
The best morning read, well done !