What the 4B Movement Means, and Why It Matters
Could South Korea’s 4B movement spread to the rest of the world? Image: The Midwood Argus / DALL-E 3
By COURTNEY HODGE
South Korea has one of the highest gender income gaps, as men are paid over 30% more than women. During 2012-2017, 98% of people arrested for illegal recordings there were men, with 84% of the victims being women. In 2017, only 2% of digital sex crime perpetrators were imprisoned.
These and other injustices have prompted many Korean women to take part in “4B,” a growing feminist movement. 4B stems from four Korean words that each start with “bi-,” or “no.” Bihon is the refusal of marriage, biyaeonae means no dating, bichulsan is the refusal of childbirth, and bisekseu is the rejection of heterosexual relationships.
This movement is a protest against the patriarchy. 4B women want to be seen as more than childbearers, leave the idea of living with men behind, and gain a strong economic standing.
Shahzoda Uktamova ‘25 believes that the movement is a reasonable response to the circumstances in South Korea. “Lawmakers and politicians aren’t doing anything for women there, so they have to take the issue into their own hands,” she said.
Abigaelle Said ‘25 also believes the movement is reasonable. However, she isn’t sure how effective it will be in igniting change. “It’s not something unique,” she said. “I feel it’s close to American counterculture. However, I think it's important that they are taking such a big stance because it will bring attention [to the situation].”
Currently, South Korea’s birth rate has dropped to 0.78 births per woman, the lowest in the world, and it is partially due to these societal pressures on women. Michael Herrmann, a senior adviser on economics and demography with the United Nations Population Fund, said, “If the system or economy does not afford women equal opportunities, they might think twice about having children.”
Many blame the birth rate decline on feminism. In March 2022, President Yoon Sukyeol won the election with that message and promised to abolish the country’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Getting rid of the ministry would eliminate a key tool for implementing policies for women’s rights.
Truthfully, Korea’s low birth rate can seem a bit scary. “You need to repopulate to keep a culture alive, to keep a country alive,” said Said. “But countries like Denmark have implemented pro-natal policies like more maternity leave and free child care, so I think it’s easy to combat if the government takes action.”
Amaya Williams ‘25 said, “I definitely do think the birth rate is a cause of concern. But I don’t think women should be punished for it because their actions aren't actively going against South Korea’s functioning but to see change.”
Uktamova added, “If feminism was hypothetically the main issue for the low birth rate, we should blame the political, economical, and social issues that force feminists to take such drastic measures to assert their rights, not the women themselves.”
In the U.S, 50.7% of the college-educated labor force is women. Some may say America is changing for the better. Despite this, many argue that the patriarchy has survived in other ways.
Gina Chen ‘25 said, “The patriarchy still exists in America because most lawmakers are men, there are still wage gaps, and there are still a lot of male-dominated work fields.”
Perhaps it makes sense, then, that 4B is spreading to more than just Korean women. Though disparities between men and women aren’t as dire in America as they are in South Korea, some U.S. women have still chosen to take part in the movement.
However, Giomaris Hill ‘25 said she wouldn’t be one of them because it seemed like too difficult a commitment. Whisty Chan ‘25 and Said said they wouldn’t take part either because they envision a family in their futures.
Uktamova said she may have taken part a few months ago, but “now, I'm more religious, and in Islam, marriage and childbirth is a huge part of life, for both men and women.”
The 4B movement could be seen as an appropriate response to the current climate in South Korea and other countries as well. Women across the world are faced with social injustices and are often criticized for taking a stance. 4B’s impact in Korea has made women the target of blame for the nation’s shortcomings. However, this blame and frustration is misplaced and only shows why women are fighting back. Misogynistic societies should observe 4B’s example as a warning of what can happen when gender equality goes ignored for too long.