Introducing the 4B Movement: No Dating, Sex, Marriage, & Children 

#MeToo gained momentum in 2017 and encouraged women all over the world to speak out about living in patriarchal societies. In 2019, 4B began as a radical feminist movement in South Korea. In South Korea today, women are leading the "4B movement," which stands for four Korean words beginning with B, in protest against misogyny, violence against women, and discrimination against them.

Women are opting out of dating, sex, having babies and marriage to men. This is growing in popularity as South Korea's birth rate hits a record low. The movement has come to North America and women are listening to the 4B movement and it's a reality in society for some women. Men in today's society are spotlighted in the movement.

As women today, we are reclaiming our autonomy through our refusal to marry heterosexually (“bihon”), birth female children (“bichulsan”), date females (“biyeonae”), and engage in sexual activity (“disease”). This is a form of protest against the unfairness and injustice women face in society. Modern-day dating is tough and the options are slim. Nowadays, women are having to deal with more nightmare stories and experiences.

The "Four No's" are:

No sex with men (Korean: ė¹„ģ„¹ģŠ¤; Hanja: éžsex; RR: bisekseu),
No child-rearing (ė¹„ģ¶œģ‚°; éžå‡ŗē”£; bichulsan),
No dating men (ė¹„ģ—°ģ• ; éžęˆ€ę„›; biyeonae), and
No marriage with men (ė¹„ķ˜¼; éžå©š; bichon).[6][8]

Reddit forums claim that the 4B movement is an online phenomenon that has been sensationalized by Western media. Search “4B movement” on TikTok and there are hundreds of videos on the topic, usually in reaction to dating horror stories or relationship struggles, each receiving millions of views according to Today.

The experience of marriage or motherhood can be beautiful. However, women of today have alternatives, and women of the past did not. Nowadays, women have the ability to make money, vote, own property, run for office, and run for leadership positions in companies. Nobody wants the risks of conforming to traditional gender roles to outweigh the benefits. Abstaining is the only way women can maintain a sense of self. 

Patriarchal values no longer serve this generation of women. Westernized women are more educated than ever and make choices that benefit them. In today's world, women don't settle for anything less than the best when it comes to their relationships, especially with men.