Donald Trump’s reelection has triggered a wave of social media posts and search interest in the “4B” movement, a fringe feminist trend that started in South Korea in 2018. Partially inspired by the #MeToo movement in the United States, 4B encourages women to cut ties to men altogether.
Gender played a huge role in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, with concerns over reproductive rights following the repeal of Roe v. Wade and the growing number of sexual misconduct allegations against Trump, who was found liable last year of sexually abusing journalist E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s. Vice President-elect JD Vance disparagingly referred to some women as “childless cat ladies” while Trump’s campaign prioritized reaching young male conservative voters. Though votes are still being counted in Nevada and Arizona, exit polls indicate that female voters — especially those 18 to 29 — largely showed up to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.