Uber expands women-only ride program nationwide in the US
NEW YORK (AP) — Uber announced Monday that it is launching a new feature across the United States that allows women riders and drivers to be matched with other women for trips. The move expands a pilot program designed to address safety concerns on the company’s ride-hailing platform.
The feature is being rolled out nationwide even as Uber faces an ongoing class-action lawsuit in California. The case was filed by Uber drivers who argue that the policy discriminates against men. Another ride-hailing company, Lyft, is also facing a similar lawsuit over a comparable feature it introduced nationwide in 2024.
According to Uber, the new option will appear in the app as “Women Drivers.” Women riders can request a female driver and, if the wait time is too long, they can choose to switch to another ride option. Riders can also reserve trips with female drivers in advance. A third option allows women to set a preference for female drivers in their app settings, increasing the likelihood of being matched with one, though it is not guaranteed. Teen account users on Uber will also be able to request women drivers.
Female drivers on the platform will have the ability to set their preferences to receive trip requests primarily from women riders. They can turn this preference on or off at any time.
Uber, headquartered in San Francisco, says about one-fifth of its drivers in the U.S. are women, although the percentage varies by city. In November, two California Uber drivers filed a class-action lawsuit claiming the company’s “Women Preferences” feature violates the state’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, which bans discrimination by businesses based on sex.
The lawsuit argues that the policy gives female drivers access to the full pool of riders while male drivers must compete for a smaller group of passengers. It also claims the feature reinforces the stereotype that men are more dangerous than women.
Uber has filed a motion asking the court to require arbitration in the case, pointing to an agreement drivers signed when joining the platform. The company also disputes the claim that the policy violates California law, arguing that the feature serves an important public interest by improving safety.
In its court filing, Uber said the feature responds to long-standing requests from women drivers and riders who said they would feel safer if they could choose to ride with another woman.
Lyft is dealing with a similar legal challenge. Two Lyft drivers have filed a lawsuit over the company’s “Women+Connect” feature, which allows women and nonbinary riders to match with drivers who identify the same way.
Uber first tested the “Women Preferences” feature last summer in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Detroit before expanding it to 26 U.S. cities in November. The company originally launched a version of the feature in Saudi Arabia in 2019 after the country passed a landmark law granting women the right to drive. Today, Uber offers similar options in 40 countries, including Canada and Mexico.
Both Uber and Lyft have faced criticism over safety issues for years, including thousands of reported sexual assaults involving passengers and drivers. In February, a federal jury found Uber legally responsible in a 2023 sexual assault case and ordered the company to pay $8.5 million to an Arizona woman who said she was raped by one of its drivers.
Uber continues to argue that because its drivers are independent contractors rather than employees, the company is not liable for their misconduct. However, Uber says it has taken several steps to improve safety, including partnering with Lyft in 2021 to create a shared database of drivers removed from their platforms due to complaints involving sexual assault or other serious crimes.
The company says reported incidents of sexual assault have declined in recent years. Uber data shows 5,981 incidents were reported during U.S. rides between 2017 and 2018. That number dropped to 2,717 between 2021 and 2022 — the most recent years available — which Uber says represented about 0.0001% of all trips nationwide.
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