Recently, I was faced with the task of calling my grandma — an 82-year-old first-generation immigrant who donated to a political campaign for the first time this year — and checking on her after the results of the 2024 election were reported. She was surprisingly calm — or, at the very least, more level-headed than I felt — and told me there was nothing more we could’ve done to change the outcome. 

However, in my state of confusion and rage, there was one thing she said that stuck with me for days after. In a soft, lilting accent, she told me her one hope before she leaves this world: It would be better for me than it was for her. The words have echoed in my head for days, and I can’t help but look around at what this country has become and think progress is regressing. 

Since the announcement of President-elect Donald Trump’s reelection, the internet’s underbelly of misogyny has become louder than ever. Groups of men have taken to saying, “Your body, my choice,” as a rebuttal to the traditional feminist slogan that called for reproductive rights.

This phrase, along with various threats of assault and rape, has plagued social media apps over the past month. While this type of behavior has always been present, it seems it has been severely amplified since Election Day and is only continuing to grow — and it isn’t difficult to understand why.

In May 2023, Trump was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation of E. Jean Carroll. It was the first time in United States history that a former president was found liable for sexual misconduct — and he was just elected again. 

It isn’t surprising that having a rapist for a president has made other misogynists feel more comfortable with being openly sexist, but it is jarring to see how little respect certain men have for the women in their lives. It is almost as though they have been waiting for a chance to spew out their disdain, and it was just served to them on a silver platter. 

This rampant sexism has not been met without strong opposition. Some women are going as far as to suggest that the U.S. participate in the 4B movement — a feminist movement that originated in South Korea to boycott marriage, childbirth, dating and heterosexual intercourse in response to gender inequality and femicide. 

South Korea is the country with the largest recorded wage gap and is known for its highly patriarchal culture. In fact, President Yoon Suk Yeol has previously suggested that feminism has prevented men and women from forming healthy relationships, going as far as to call for the abolishment of Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

With such male chauvinism present in the country’s government, it is no wonder that Korean women took a stance — or that American feminists are drawn to the idea of doing the same. 

While it is fair to wonder if something like this is realistic or even effective, it’s important to note that South Korea holds one of the lowest fertility rates in the world. However, work culture and the economy also play a part in this. 

It’s difficult to say whether or not the 4B movement holds enough merit or power to make a difference in the U.S., but it still represents a firm stance against the aggression that American women have dealt with for centuries — which will likely grow even more with Trump back in office. Its meaning is also rather surreal: Deny us our rights to our bodies, and we will deny you access to them. 

As I comb through the plethora of injustices seen in both the U.S. and Korea, I am once again reminded of my grandma’s hope that the world that treated her so poorly will be better for me. It’s infuriating to know that she will likely have to wait a long time — or at the very least four years — to see the progress she’s waited for all her life. 

However, it is this frustration that lights a fire under me to work toward something better.

I’m both livid and exhausted, tired of granting grace just to have it spat back in my face. But I can’t in good conscience bury my head in the sand and accept a lesser future than the one we’ve earned. If our society wants to continue to hate women loudly, then we must be louder. 

Hailey is a junior in Business.

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