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At the moment, I’d say about one-sixth of the TikTok videos on my for you page are about Korea’s 4B movement.
UK Google searches for the term have absolutely soared since November 5th ― the day before the US election’s results. The trend seems to apply worldwide.
Pauline Hamilton, who is currently doing “very preliminary” research on the phenomenon in Korea (though she stresses she is “by no means an expert”) revealed that “4B” refers to a sort of online gender strike.
Though Pauline hopes to speak directly with women participating in the 4B movement in the future, she’s currently sharing her broader knowledge on TikTok.
“The 4B movement is an online movement predominantly in South Korea where women are partaking in the four ’B’s,” she explained.
The first “B” stands for the Hanja (Korean Chinese characters) word for “no” or “won’t”; the other “B”s stand for sex, child-rearing, marriage, and dating.
HuffPost UK spoke to both Pauline and Leah Forney, founder and creator of SAAVE ME (Sexual Assault Advocacy for Victims Everywhere) about what 4B means to them.
“I have noticed a surge of interest in the 4B movement after the election in online spaces, like TikTok, within communities that (I suspect) will be heavily influenced by the outcome of the election.”
Pauline says she’s noticed an uptick in online interest for the 4B movement since the US election, though she explained: “I can’t speak on if the movement has gained more popularity in South Korea because of the election though — it’s a bit too early to tell.
“However, I think it’s also worth noting that the 4B movement holds its origins within online communities. So, while it may be extremely popular online, it’s difficult to say how many individuals in real life are actually participating (both after the election and before),” she shared.
Pauline also says studying the movement has had some real-life effects on how she conceptualises 4B.
“Before researching the movement, I could conceptually understand the desires of women choosing to abstain from having various relations with men — so many factors go into this choice! After researching the movement, however, I feel that it’s not enough to look at this movement as simply just being a choice,” she wrote.
“It feels like so much more than that. In this way, I think I’ve become more aware and open to the possibilities available in life, despite them being unconventional. I don’t think the 4B movement is something I’ll ever personally participate in but I can completely understand why someone would choose to.”
And while 4B sounds incredibly strict, Pauline doesn’t think the approach has to be restrictive to benefit women: “It’s about living the life that is the most freeing and fulfilling for each individual.”
“Within the movement, that typically means deliberately abstaining from sex, dating, child-rearing, and marriage with men, however, everyone is different,” she told HuffPost UK.
“I think the movement functionally provides a safe space for women to gain enough confidence to choose what life they want to live, even if that path is unconventional. So, regardless of whether someone adheres to every B in the movement or not, as long as they’re living a life that they find fulfilling, that’s enough!”
Interestingly, Pauline ― who is currently based in South Korea ― adds: “Since the 4B movement is predominantly online, I don’t think a lot of people know about it in South Korea.”
“I’ve mentioned it to some friends before and most of them said they had either never heard of it, or had, and didn’t know anything about it. I really want to stress that the internet makes the movement seem insanely huge but that’s really not true in terms of day-to-day consciousness.”
″The idea behind 4B aligns deeply with my work as a sexual assault advocate and activist, especially when it comes to helping survivors from marginalised communities feel empowered to set boundaries and seek justice within systems that often let them down.”
Leah Forney, whose organisation SAAVE ME focuses on advocacy for sexual assault victims, says: “The movement resonated with me because it offers a framework for women to feel safer, regain control over their lives, and make informed decisions about how they engage in relationships, which is so vital in my work as an advocate and educator.”
Having first encountered the trend on TikTok and through conversations with other women, Leah sees the 4B movement as a way of “encouraging women to take back their power and prioritise their safety.”
She says she implements some elements of the movement into her day-to-day life too.
“My work as a sexual assault advocate often involves helping others feel safe again in relationships, whether romantic, professional, or social,” she explained.
“I now encourage survivors that I encounter to find strength in community with other women as well as other survivors, and I approach discussions about healing and empowerment with a deeper focus on autonomy and choice. The movement has reminded me to prioritise my well-being first, and that example carries through in my work as I help other survivors do the same.”
“It’s definitely impacted how I approach self-care, boundaries, and conversations with other women as well as interacting with men both platonically and romantically. I’ve become more intentional about prioritising my own mental and emotional health, setting clearer boundaries, and sharing these principles with others,” the advocate added.
Leah believes that what she sees as core tenets of the 4B movement, like financial freedom, building supportive networks with women, and promoting boundaries and self-care are key to women’s well-being.
“For women who have felt betrayed or unsupported by societal systems, the principles of 4B can act as a blueprint for creating lives centered on safety, dignity, and empowerment,” she wrote.
Just like Pauline, though, Leah doesn’t think the movement has to be followed to the T (or should that be the B?) to have a positive effect.
“The heart of the movement is about women making choices that prioritise their autonomy and well-being, so a married mother can absolutely take on aspects that resonate with her, like financial independence or emotional boundaries, without needing to leave her partner,” she told HuffPost UK.
“The movement is ultimately about personal empowerment, not prescriptive rules, so I see it as adaptable for any woman who wants to feel more secure and self-assured in her life.”
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