Nationwide Rollout
Uber has launched a feature allowing women drivers and riders to request matches with other women across the U.S. The "Women Preferences" feature was launched on Monday, responding to requests from women riders and drivers who wanted "more control over how they ride and earn." The company piloted the feature in the U.S. last year, reporting women felt "more comfortable in the back seat" and "more confident behind the wheel."
How the Feature Works
The new feature allows women to request a female driver through an option on the app called "Women Drivers." Women can reserve a trip with a woman driver in advance or set their preference in the app to increase the likelihood of being matched with a woman. If the wait for a woman driver is too long, passengers can opt for another ride. In cities where teen accounts are available, teens and their parents can also request women drivers. Uber's women drivers can set the app's preferences to request trips with female riders, and they can turn off that preference at any time.
Discrimination Lawsuit
The rollout comes despite an ongoing class action lawsuit in California, filed by Uber drivers who argue the move discriminates against men. Two California Uber drivers have accused the company of violating California legislation, by potentially giving female drivers access to a wider pool of passengers. The lawsuit charges that the feature gives its minority female drivers access to the entire pool of passengers, while leaving its majority male drivers to compete for a smaller pool of passengers. The lawsuit also argues that Uber's policy "reinforces the gender stereotype that men are more dangerous than women."
Uber's Defense
Uber has filed a motion to compel arbitration in the case, citing an agreement the drivers signed when joining the app. In the motion, Uber disputed that its new feature violates the Unruh Act, which prohibits sex discrimination by businesses, and said it "serves a strong and recognized public policy interest in enhancing safety." Uber stated, "This feature is a common sense solution to a long-standing request from both women Drivers and Riders who told Uber they would feel more comfortable and safer if they could choose to ride with another woman."
Similar Lawsuit Against Lyft
Ride-sharing app Lyft is also facing a discrimination lawsuit over its feature introduced in 2024 allowing riders and drivers to prioritize women and non-binary matches. Two Lyft drivers have filed a similar lawsuit against that company against its "Women+Connect" feature, which allows women and nonbinary riders to match with drivers of the same identification.
Safety Concerns
Both Uber and Lyft have faced criticism over their safety records, including thousands of reports of sexual assaults from both passengers and drivers. In February, a federal jury found Uber to be legally responsible in a case of sexual assault and the company was ordered to pay $8.5 million to an Arizona woman who said she was raped by one of its drivers. Uber maintains that because its drivers are contractors and not employees, it's not liable for their misconduct.
Company Safety Measures
Uber says it has taken multiple steps in efforts to improve safety, including teaming up with Lyft in 2021 to create a database of drivers ousted from their ride-hailing services for complaints over sexual assault and other crimes. According to reports from Uber, 5,981 incidents of sexual assault were reported in U.S. rides between 2017 and 2018 — compared to 2,717 between 2021 and 2022, which the platform says represented 0.0001% of total trips nationwide.
Global Expansion
Uber already offers the woman-matching option for drivers in more than 40 countries and for riders across seven countries, including Spain, Brazil and Saudi Arabia. About one-fifth of Uber drivers in the U.S. are women, though the ratio varies by city.
