The 4B movement that sparked global interest in the wake of the US election has grown out of an intensely unequal society

As Donald Trump secured victory in the US presidential election, an unexpected phenomenon began trending on social media: young American women declaring their commitment to “4B”, a fringe South Korean feminist movement advocating the rejection of marriage, childbirth, dating and sex.

The movement has sparked intense global interest, with millions of views on TikTok and viral X posts heralding it as a women’s rights revolution.