Women4BusinessWomen4Business

Women-only Access Policy

Last updated 25 August 2026

Women4Business is provided as a women-only platform. This policy explains the legal basis on which we restrict participation and how we verify it.

Legal basis

  1. Single-sex service (Equality Act 2010, Schedule 3) — providing a service only to women is lawful where it is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, such as protecting safety, privacy and dignity in a peer-to-peer trading and community environment.
  2. Positive action (Equality Act 2010, sections 158 & 159) — women remain under-represented and disadvantaged in business ownership, property investment and access to capital. Women4Business is a proportionate measure intended to address that disadvantage by giving women a dedicated space to trade, list, promote and collaborate.

How verification works

We use a two-tier, proportionate system. Full identity documents are only requested where the risk justifies it.

  • Browsing is open to all visitors.
  • Tier 1 — Member check (sell, list and post). Before a member can open a store, list products, add a directory listing or post in the community, we complete a light-touch check. This can be satisfied by social proof we can independently corroborate — a LinkedIn profile, an Instagram business account, or a Companies House director record — reviewed by our team, or by an instant identity check via Stripe Identity. Marketplace sellers additionally keep a card on file through Stripe Connect, which acts as a fraud deterrent. Completing this tier adds a “Member” badge to your profile.
  • Tier 2 — Full ID verification (property and trust badges). Property and room listings require full identity verification via Stripe Identity (a regulated identity verification provider), which checks a government-issued passport or driving licence against a live selfie. This tier backs our Female Landlord Verified, Female Host Verified and Female Room Share badges, and is available optionally to any member who wants the “Verified” trust badge on their profile.
  • Ad-hoc checks may be triggered at any time if your account is reported or behaviour suggests further verification is needed.

Proportionality

We only request identity documents where the risk justifies it. Casual browsers are never asked for identification, and most members complete Tier 1 with social proof alone — no documents at all. Full ID verification (Tier 2) is reserved for property listings, where in-person safety matters most, and for members who choose it for extra trust.

Appeals

If your account is declined, suspended or terminated on eligibility grounds, you may appeal by emailing hello@women4business.com. We will respond within 14 days and may request further information.