A World Without Men The women of South Korea’s 4B movement aren’t fighting the patriarchy — they’re leaving it behind entirely.

[YouAreNotBatman]

www.thecut.com/2023/03/4b-movement-feminism-south-korea.html

I just wanted to drop this aarticle about the brave and strong women in South Korea.
I guess quite a few here has heard of the 4B, or 6B4T these days movement, but I saw this new piece and wanted to share.

I know I’m bias, but I just admire women who opt out men/children and admire all these women who are truly paving a new way for girls and women.

Thanks for the link. A really interesting piece overall, and I agree that these women are being quite brave in their outward, blatant rejection to the traditional confines of their society.

However, as per our seems that the writer suffers from cognitive dissonance by assuming TWAW: "Some 4B practitioners also were turned off by the movement’s focus on cisgender women to the exclusion of trans women;" but ending the article: "The most important thing, in her view, is the absence of men. “Always, when I use the word ‘safe place,’ it means the place for women.” "

Those two ideas cannot co-exist, and I so wish for the time when there is rigour in thinking, especially from journalists.

You are right about the writer, but I’m guessing she’s Westerner and writing through that lense and had to push that agenda.
She doesn’t seem very versed about SK, considering she wrote all the Korean names wrong.

Cool stuff, but as usual women staying away from men is portrayed as women wanting to destroy men. Just the picture itself makes you think it's some sort of sci-fi where men were suddenly eradicated from earth. Whatever.

Thanks Op, I didn't know anything about feminism in South Korea before and that was really interesting.

Very interesting article. I knew it was bad there, and had heard about the map, but didn't know DV rates were that horrific.

Thanks for posting, fascinating. Very brave of them to so openly reject society in such a conservative culture.

Sounds a bit too much like apartheid to me tbh.

This was really interesting thanks. I think they're kind of in need of something this radical to hopefully become a bit more progressive. Will watch them with interest

this radical @buckeejit

What do you mean, what’s radical about it?
From womans(?) or feminist(?) perspective.
I understan why men or misogynystic would have strong feelings aboit women who don’t bother with men and we all know why, but why would healthy person think this is radical?

This interesting piece from 2020 sums up some academic research done into the movement.

"Last fall, Jen Izaakson travelled to South Korea to document the rise of the radical feminist movement as part of a Cambridge University working group, after winning a research grant, interviewing over 40 female activists. She co-authored this piece with Tae Kyung Kim, a Korean radical feminist from Seoul, currently living and studying in Berlin.
News of the growing feminist movement in South Korea has reached Western mediaa^, but the roots of this radical uprising are undercovered. Mainstream media reporting in the West often covers the aspects of South Korean feminism that mirror our own achievements back to us, leaving the particular achievements of Korean women and the most radical aspects of the movement less visible. In September, over 40 women from the South Korean radical feminist movement were interviewed as part of academic research. The results of those findings are summarized in this article. Due to the brevity of this piece, lots of information cannot be covered, but we have tried to include the material that will best demonstrate how the movement emerged; its historical context; and what tactics, strategies, and political formations constitute radical feminism in South Korea."

I love that, for instance, part of the movement is to reject standards of beauty, cosmetics and plastic surgery and objectification - when I see young women with their eyelash extensions, plumped lips, laminated eyebrows, unnatural tan colour, hair extensions - I wish they could have this example or some other more natural role model.

"Between 2015-2016 and 2017-2018, South Korean women spent 53.5 billion Korean won less on beauty products and cosmetic surgeries, investing in cars instead, choosing independence over objectification."

www.feministcurrent.com/2020/06/15/the-south-korean-womens-movement-we-are-not-flowers-we-are-a-fire/

From a societal pov it's surely radical-it says radical in the articles. Not sure if I can comment if I'm a healthy person's thinking. There is little reporting of male allies of the movement & I find it strange if there are no men in the country who truly support equality.

It's affecting society to an extent that the government needs to take action to promote the country's birth rate. I admire these women but if I was in that situation, not sure I'd give up my future & having children particularly for the movement. Honestly, I'd probably just move. I find it really interesting though & look forward to watching how it develops further

From a societal pov

_
Ah, of course, I didn’t understand first.
Yes, of course men and patriarchy won’t like women saying no to men and giving them an heir.
In that sense it is ’radical’ I suppose.

I’d also say that actual male ’alleys’ are very few are far between, even globally speaking.
I don’t think there are many men who actually see women as equal to them.

Agreed. I know of my own lovely circle of men, there is an ingrained subconscious bias. I often think my husband even thinks the worst thing about male violence is that it paints men in a bad light!