Gender war in USA post Kamala Harris defeat 

Dr Duggaraju Srinivasa Rao

We will go on ‘sex strike’ and “no more romance with husband in the bedroom”, “our body our right” slogans were the high decibel rants that came from the feminist activists  of USA as soon as the Presidential election went in Donald Trump way. The ladies of America was so confident of Kamala Harris creating history by winning the election and walking into White House as the first female President. Despite their vocal campaign in favour of “Female in White House this time”, a change for “better gender equality” Trump triumphed.  Having failed to realise their dream the American women are holding gender counterparts as responsible for their favourite Kamala Harris defeat.  They feel that it is inherent male chauvinism of the white Americans which made them to vote massively for macho Trump.  The American male raised counter slogans which are more aggressive and aimed at snubbing the female activists. The counter slogans include “go back to the kitchen” and “your body, My choice”, which females felt offensive, hurting their gender sensitivity. Instant reaction of the females was to search for internet information on the ways and means to take on males in an equally aggressive way and they found the earlier South Korean feminist B4 movement. This was confirmed by the report of Google search which reported that 4B was the most widely searched word in America in the post Kamala Harris defeat days.  The word 4B refers to the feminine movement of South Korea that was on since early this century but picked up after the Covid19 time as 4,000 women are committed to the 4B in that country.

The term 4B refers to the movement which is based on the four Korean words. In that language Bi is equivalent to No in English. Those four Bis are- Bihon (marriage), Bichulsan (no Child birth), Biyeonae (no romance) and Bisekseu (no sexual relationships). This is in essence not to be with men in any relation of what so ever and maintaining “me first” attitude in all issues, challenge men aimed at proving that they are equals and not subordinates in the relation and announcing total equality in all aspects of life. This is an extension of the feministic movement with more emphasis on the bodily relations and low on emotional consequences. Bend the men our way through sex deprivations was what the 4B group founders aimed at. For several centuries the women are kept away from the decision making in traditional Asiatic societies and all family decisions, including those related to body of women such as conceiving and abortion, are taken by males.  Patriarchy is stratified and the Korean women are opposing that and using their body as weapon to get the males if not surrender but accept the concept of gender equality. It is this Korean model of denying the sexual pleasure and satisfaction to men which the American women wish to replicate though there was no such stratified patriarchy as such in their society.

It is digital gender war that is on in USA and it is yet to take a firm shape between females and males. However, observers feel that this sexual rhetoric was on because of  the polarised political environment in USA during the presidential campaign and triggered the backlash with individuals and groups sticking to their stands firmly and using social media to provoke or snub each other’s gender. Women in the American society are on war path ever since Supreme Court verdict put restrictions on their abortion rights. The women feel that such a verdict was delivered by judges appointed in the earlier Trump regime. They feel that that verdict was only a beginning and in the coming time more pro-male and anti-female decisions will come after the inauguration of Trump II regime. They fear their reproductive rights, equal pay will be taken away and their political representation will also get reduced.

This gender war in USA restricted to social media but as we know the social media platforms are beyond national boundaries, the gender war of America, it is feared, may reach to other countries including the other in Europe and Asia, and if that happens, the implications to those societies may be far reaching. The current slogans aired by US men like “women should only be home makers”, “Women need to go back to the kitchen”, “women’s reproductive rights are a man’s choice”, “women can’t abort at any stage of the pregnancy”, “feminism is a myth and is spoiling the society and culture” the women activists feel that it could embolden the regressive forces in societies where women’s rights are already fragile the position of women would take a further beating.

There are also fears that these sexual rhetoric will impact the psychology of women. With constant exposure to the offensive, abusive derogatory words and language will hit young women’s self esteem and they may fear the very thought of male company. Already the females are postponing their marriage and are going for kids after 30s and conceiving capacity is going down. In the current demographic concern where the population decline is the next threat for the nations, the women and man rivalry may further take down the birth rate. If the gender war goes unabated, the psychologists fear the fall in female self-confidence and consequential development of mental health issues with perpetual feeling of insecurity. For the societal health such a confronting male-female relations should end at once in the USA, where such fights got originated but should be checked and controlled going beyond borders. But, as the new year starts and the date of inauguration of Trump presidency approaches fear of escalation of gender war is looming in 2025 as Trump takes oath and his American women feared vindictive regime opens up.

(Author is retired professor. The views expressed are personal opinion of the author. He can be reached at duggarajusrinivasarao@gmail.com)