“Your Body, My Choice”

Finding Refuge in the 4B Movement

Graphic by Salma Mourad.

In the wake of Donald Trump’s sweeping 2024 re-election, many American women have voiced feelings of fear and betrayal — especially regarding the fight over reproductive rights and gender equality. Numerous political commentators have partly attributed this victory to the growing influence of right-wing “manosphere” content and its popularity amongst young men— the new up-and-coming face of conservatism in the US. This growing sphere has even emboldened white-nationalist figures like Nick Fuentes who created the now-famous X-post “Your body; my choice” which is spreading like wildfire. The post has been viewed over 90 million times and reposted over 35,000 times. On Facebook, the phrase “your body, my choice” was trending a couple of days after the election, with 52,000 posts within 48 hours of the results. One parent stated: “Today my daughter was told three separate times on campus ‘your body, MY choice.’ The third group of boys told her to ‘sleep with one eye open tonight.’” Calls for women to "get back to the kitchen" and to "repeal the 19th" also peaked shortly after the election before dropping.

55 percent of male voters supported Trump whose tenure has been marred by allegations of sexual misconduct, inflammatory rhetoric, and the appointment of Supreme Court justices pivotal in overturning Roe v. Wade. The loss of federally protected abortion rights has left many women in precarious, even life-threatening, situations. Tragically, deaths have already resulted from restrictive abortion policies which have heightened anxieties about the future under a conservative-controlled government— the surge in emergency contraception and abortion pill sales reflects the desperation many feel in the wake of the election results.

In response to feeling trapped by these powers at bay for the next four years, conversations about methods of feminist resistance have intensified online. One point of growing interest is the 4B Movement, a radical feminist initiative originating in South Korea. Its name derives from four Korean words: “no sex” (bisekseu), “no dating” (biyeonae), “no marriage” (bihon), and “no childbirth” (bichulsan). These principles represent a rejection of patriarchal structures and expectations, arising in response to persistent gender-based violence. The movement gained particular momentum after the 2016 murder of a 23-year-old woman in Seoul’s Gangnam district by a man who claimed he acted out of resentment toward women who “ignored” him throughout his life. This tragedy became a catalyst for feminist activism, galvanizing broader resistance to patriarchal norms.

The 4B Movement also aligns with other feminist initiatives in South Korea, such as the “escape the corset” campaign, which challenges the nation’s deeply harmful beauty standards. It also addresses South Korea’s stark gender disparities: the nation has the widest gender pay gap among developed nations, with women earning 31 percent less than men as of 2022. Beyond economic inequality, South Korean women frequently face digital sex crimes, including voyeuristic “molka” spy-camera recordings and the proliferation of AI-generated deepfake pornography.

It is important to acknowledge that while the 4B Movement has resonated with women all over the world it has sparked controversy for being transphobic. Critics argue that the movement perpetuates bio-essentialist views and risks excluding trans and nonbinary individuals, through perpetuating a gender binary. Furthermore, many members have been accused of creating a hostile environment for trans women, echoing criticisms of Western radical feminist movements which are also widely known as TERFs.

In the United States, interest in the 4B Movement has surged following Trump’s re-election. Platforms like TikTok feature over 100,000 videos about the movement, and Google searches for the term have spiked. One viral X post with 17.8 million views says “It’s time to close off your wombs to males. This election proves now more than ever that they hate us & hate us proudly. do not reward them.” 

Other similar viral posts have urged women to abstain from sex as a form of protest, echoing similar calls during Trump’s first term. This growing resonance reflects broader discontent with systemic gender inequities and a desire for radical change. However, as with previous calls for “sex strikes,” the effectiveness of such actions without clear goals remains contested. While Aristophanes’ Lysistrata dramatized women withholding intimacy to end war, successful modern iterations—such as Leymah Gbowee’s Nobel Prize-winning efforts during Liberia’s civil war—emphasize the necessity of collective, actionable demands.

Critics of American women’s interest in conducting a “sex strike” often trivialize these actions as performative or hysterical. Conservative and liberal commentators alike have dismissed women’s anger, ignoring the systemic injustices that fuel these movements. Headlines ridiculing the discussions sparked after the election—such as “liberal women swear off marriage”—only serve to obscure the legitimate concerns driving them. Many commentators are also quick to note that young women represent a growing conservative demographic and point out the 53 percent of white women who voted for Trump. However, framing the issue solely through this lens oversimplifies the conversation and neglects the disproportionate impact of restrictive policies on marginalized women, including women of color and trans women.

While movements like 4B and calls for sex strikes have captured public attention, they highlight the need for broader, more comprehensive strategies to address gender inequality. Psychologist Peggy Drexler has critiqued sex strikes, arguing they risk reinforcing the notion that women’s sexual agency exists solely in relation to men. Historical examples, such as Lysistrata, suggest that withholding sex is just one aspect of collective resistance. As classicist Helen Morales notes, meaningful change often involves multifaceted action—seizing economic resources, withdrawing unpaid labor, and challenging structural inequalities. However, while these movements may not represent the most organized efforts to demand women’s rights, they highlight the deep frustration many women feel about the election results and the direction the nation seems to be heading.

Movements like 4B reflect a rational response to pervasive injustices. Rather than dismissing feminist anger as irrational or performative, we must interrogate the systemic conditions that drive it. Feminist resistance, whether through radical movements or symbolic protests, demands serious consideration as a response to entrenched inequities. Acknowledging and addressing these concerns is essential to fostering meaningful and lasting change.