On Monday, Uber started rolling out its women-only feature nationwide in the United States. Female passengers and drivers are now able to request their preference to be paired with other women. Uber piloted the feature last summer in order to promote safety across the service.
What is Uber’s women-only option?
Uber expanded its Women Preferences nationwide across the country, as well as on an international level. The feature is now available for drivers in over 40 countries and for passengers in seven countries— the U.S., Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Brazil and Spain.
“We’ve heard just how much that choice matters—from feeling more comfortable in the back seat to more confident behind the wheel,” Uber said in a press release.
Female passengers are now able to request a ride by selecting women drivers when they purchase a trip. They can opt for another ride in case the wait time is longer than anticipated. They can also book trips in advance to request a female driver.
The preference can be set in the app settings, although Uber notes that being matched with a female driver is not always guaranteed. Female drivers can also set their preference to receive trip requests from female passengers. The feature is also available on teen accounts for both on-demand trips and advance reservations.
In 2019, the Women Preferences feature was initially launched in Saudi Arabia after women were granted the right to drive. Then, last summer, Uber piloted the feature in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Detroit before expanding it to 26 cities across the U.S. in November, per the Associated Press.
Uber said about a fifth of its drivers in the U.S. are women. It launched a campaign to promote the new feature with starring athletes like Alex Morgan and Jordan Chiles.
Uber’s Women Preferences launched despite a lawsuit alleging discrimination against men
A class action lawsuit was filed against the feature in California, with Uber drivers alleging it is discriminatory against men. In November, two drivers filed a suit against Uber saying the feature may give female drivers access to a wider pool of passengers. They allege the feature violates California’s Unruh Act, which prohibits sex discrimination by business enterprises, and that it “reinforces the gender stereotype that men are more dangerous than women,” according to the Associated Press.
Uber filed a motion denying the claims and that its feature “serves a strong and recognized public policy interest in enhancing safety.” The launch of Women Preferences comes as ride-sharing apps have received thousands of reports of sexual assault over the years. In February, a federal jury found Uber to be responsible for the 2023 rape of an Arizona woman by an Uber driver.