Saying No to Trump and Men

The election has led some women to boycott relationships and sex

- LYDIA PATRICK and MAYA MEHRARA

A GROWING NUMBER OF American women are turning to the 4B feminist protest movement in the wake of Donald Trump's election victory and are abstaining from romantic relationships with men.

The movement, which began in South Korea around the mid-2010s, was pioneered by feminists determined to dismantle traditional gender expectations and involves four "nos": bihon (no marriage), bichulsan (no childbirth), biyeonae (no dating) and diseases (no sex). It encourages women to reclaim autonomy over their bodies.

"The 4B movement is a powerful example of women pushing back against the roles society expects them to fill," psychologist and dating expert Leah Levi told Newsweek.

It gained traction after the murder of a 23-year-old woman in a public restroom near Gangnam station in Seoul by a man who reportedly resented women. "That event, and the frustrating lack of accountability from authorities, pushed women to their limit," Levi said. "They were tired of feeling unsafe, sidelined and undervalued-so 4B became a way to reclaim their lives on their own terms." Now, across the North Pacific, a number of American women feel a similar sense of frustration following the election of Trump, whose controversial decisions and personal history have exacerbated fears around gender inequality and violence.

Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign for comment via email.

Trump appointed three conservative Supreme Court judges during his previous tenure, which ultimately led to the landmark 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending federal protection for abortion access. Since then, 17 states restricted or severely limited abortion access. However, earlier this year, Trump refused to endorse a national abortion ban, instead supporting the idea that abortion laws should be determined by the states. He also expressed support for exceptions in cases of rape and incest.