FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS - LAWS AND SCHEMES - Infano Women's Health | Lifestyle

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In the past few decades, entrepreneurship has gained popularity. As we witnessed the year 2020, it goes without saying that a lot of entrepreneurs emerged at that point in time. The past decade also witnessed a spike in female entrepreneurship.

Females in more numbers knowingly began to opt for entrepreneurship as their career choice. While the roadway didn’t look easier but stable laws and policies helped them pave their ways. With the help of different government schemes, now females can jump into the pool of entrepreneurship and take that opportunity.

To inspire our female audience to take up entrepreneurship as their career option and let them know what are the entrepreneurship schemes and laws in their favor, we have compiled a list. Read on to know about the laws that you must understand if you are a female entrepreneur.

Equal remuneration: This looks like a basic right but trusts me, it wasn’t the case before. Yes, the law abides a company to pay males and females equally for an equal amount of work. This means, whether you are offering a job or doing it, one cannot deny equal pay based on the fact that you are a woman.

Sexual harassment at work: in 1997, guidelines to be followed at the workplace were laid down. Before that, an anti-sexual harassment law was a far fetched thought. Post those guidelines, an act was passed which defined what sexual harassment is and the respective punishment for that offense.

Annapurna Scheme: In this, the government finances women to establish a food Catering Unit for selling tiffin/food/lunch packs, etc offering a loan of up to Rs.50,000. The rate of interest varies, depending upon the market and the bank. However, one guarantor is required to avail of this scheme.

Stree Shakti Package: Launched by Oriental Bank of Commerce, the scheme provides capital for women for starting small businesses. Who is eligible for this loan? Women with 51% share in the business are eligible for the loan. One must note that this loan does not require any collateral.

Dena Shakti Scheme: The provider of this scheme is Dena bank and it is given to those women entrepreneurs in the fields of Agriculture & allied activities, Retail Trade, Micro Credit, Education, Housing, and retail & small business enterprises. Also, there is a concession of 0.25 % on a rate of interest.

TREAD: With the aim of empowering women economically the scheme helps in providing credit, training, development, and counseling as well. Some amount is also granted by the government.

By taking the advantage of these schemes, women who wish to begin their small or medium-sized businesses can come ahead and begin without any hindrance. Apart front his, there are many private banks that offer loans to the female owners of small businesses.

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Making love to your partner with consent is the most cherished activity. Sexual pleasure is not restricted to a mere physical activity but also involves sharing of emotions, feelings, and deepest thoughts. It becomes more enjoyable when mixed with a perfect blend of correct techniques and positions.

Often partners consent to the protected sex with a condom on during the sexual activity. But here is a catch, Even though a partner has consented for protected sex only, yet they are at the risk of stealthing making them susceptible to STIs or getting pregnant.

What is Stealthing?

Stealing is an act of non-consensual condom removal, where a partner stealthily removes the condom without knowing their partner who has consented to protected sex only. Yes you head that right.

Now, Why do people stealth?

There are myriad reasons for a sex partner to stealth, some of them can be-

To get their partner pregnant and stuck in a relationship.
Some rationalize it by saying it feels good without a condom
Their are some archaic and mysoginistic ideas that back stealthing such as’ It is a man’s right’, ‘It is a man’s natural instinct’ or women deserve to get impregnated’.

Implication of stealthing

The coercive act of stealthing not only affects the physical health of the victim but has various mental health implication. It might cause depression, anxiety and excerbate to the level of self-harm. Such a coercive behaviour maybe therefore regarded as rape or sexual assault or sometimes a form of reproductive coercion.

“I was really angry, emotional, and confused. I texted the guy but he didn’t think it was a big deal and told me it was only about £50 to get an abortion – but it changed so much in my life.

“In the end I decided to get a termination but it was a very difficult decision to make – I beat myself up about it so much because I wanted a baby but knew it wasn’t the right circumstances.”

Gemma did report her experience to the police, but the case wasn’t taken any further.

“I actually went to them when I realised it is rape and because I got pregnant.”

She says the police spoke to the man but said there wasn’t enough evidence as it was “my word against his and he denied it”. As Gemma told BBC

How can you protect yourself against stealthing?

A relationship is primarily based on mutual trust and consent but the act of stealthing involves the breach of both trust and consent. Thus, to keep yourself safe from such a coercive act. Take care of the following things-

1. Before going for sexual intercourse make sure you take along your own condom.

2. Prior to sexual activity make it explicitly clear that you are consenting for protected sex only.

3. Ask your partner to ejaculate outside your body(even with a condom on)

Legal aids against stealthing

The legal status of stealthing in India remains unclear due to the absence of legal precedence. It is covered in the Indian Penal Code(IPC) under rape. But only if a woman explicitly states that she has consented to protected sex only. However the law in India deals only with consent, It’s black and white. It doesn’t have a finesse that can make such an act punishable.

However, In countries such as Germany and the UK stealthing is punishable as a form of sexual violence.

Stealthing should be legally considered as a kind of sexual assault, but also reviewed the difficulties in doing so: In all legal areas, breaking an agreement usually is not considered a crime, and misrepresenting one’s true intentions does not make a sexual act illegal. Thus, the most successful argument for making stealthing punishable would be the inherent pregnancy and the risk of STIs
Alexandra Brodsky(published in Columbia Journal of Gender and Law)

If you have ever been a victim of stealthing, Do not blame yourself. The moment you discover about immediately get yourself tested for STIs or pregnancy tests. And always remember to trust your gut! Even if you have a slight doubt about stealthing during sex, check it out immediately.

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