Uber Will Allow Women Riders and Drivers To Choose Women-Only Trips

Uber has announced a massive update: the ability for women riders to select a woman driver.

“For the first time in the U.S., we’re launching Women Preferences — features designed to give women riders and drivers more choice, more confidence, and more flexibility when they use Uber,” the rideshare app said in a statement.

Here’s what you need to know.

Uber Launches ‘Women Preferences’ Feature

Uber will roll out an option for women riders to be paired with women drivers on its rideshare platform in the U.S.

The pilot program, dubbed “Women Preferences,” will begin in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit in the next few weeks.

Here’s how the program will work for Uber riders. When requesting a trip on demand, women riders will see an option called “Women Drivers.” If no women drivers are available, customers can opt out and choose any driver.

If using the Reserve feature (an option to pre-book an Uber ride), women riders will be able to select female drivers.

Finally, riders can set a preference for a woman driver in their app settings, though this service is not guaranteed. However, turning on the preference will increase your chances of being matched with a woman driver, Uber said.

For drivers, women will have the option to request trips with women riders.

The rideshare app introduced the feature in Saudi Arabia in 2019, following the country’s passage of a law allowing women to drive. Today, over 40 countries on 6 continents participate in the program.

Uber says the change was prompted by feedback from U.S. riders and drivers.

“Women riders and drivers have told us they want the option to be matched with other women on trips,” Uber said in a statement announcing the program.

However, Uber has faced public scrutiny due to high-profile and well-documented allegations of misconduct from both riders and drivers.

According to its own U.S. Safety Report, more than 2,700 sexual assaults were reported on its apps in 2021 and 2022. And a 2023 lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California alleged that Uber “failed to implement appropriate safety precautions to protect passengers.” Those in the suit were Uber passengers who say they were sexually assaulted or harassed by their Uber drivers.

Final Thoughts

Uber is making a positive change aimed at making women riders and drivers feel more comfortable on their trips. The “Women Preferences” program will allow women to be paired with other women on their rides. While the pilot will be available in just a handful of cities, we look forward to seeing it expand to other cities soon.