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Uber lets women choose female drivers and riders with new feature
Uber is piloting a “Women Preferences” feature in LA, SF, and Detroit, empowering women riders and drivers to connect exclusively with other women.
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Uber is rolling out a new “Women Preferences” feature that lets women riders and drivers choose to be matched exclusively with other women, according to a press release from Uber.
The pilot, which begins in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit, gives women who use the Uber app an option to request a woman driver.
“If time is of the essence, riders can opt for a faster pickup with a driver of any gender,” Uber said. Women can also set this preference for all rides, but Uber noted that wait times might be longer since most drivers are still men.
Women drivers get new control too: they can choose to accept only female passengers, even during peak earnings hours. This can be toggled on or off anytime.
“Most drivers are men, so we’ve worked to ensure this feature was truly usable in different places around the world. We tested, listened, and refined it in markets like Germany and France, adapting the feature to real-world rider and driver behaviors,” Camiel Irving, Uber’s VP of Operations for the U.S. and Canada, said in a statement provided by Uber.
This isn’t Uber’s first attempt at gender-based pairing. As reported by The Verge, Uber first launched a similar feature in Saudi Arabia in 2019, later expanding to more than 40 countries.
But the company has struggled with a basic math problem: most Uber drivers are men, making reliable women-to-women matches difficult.
Safety, of course, is the subtext here. According to ABC News, Uber’s 2024 U.S. safety report disclosed 2,717 incidents of “serious sexual assault and misconduct” in 2021–22—a 22 percent decline from earlier reports, but still an alarming figure.
“If a woman thinks she’s being paired with another woman, either rider or driver, and a man shows up, Uber recommends they cancel the ride and report the incident to the company,” ABC News explained.
A Few Practical Tips:
- Think something’s off? Cancel, report, and don’t worry about hurting anyone’s feelings.
- Want to always ride with a woman? Set your preference in the app, but expect longer waits.
- If you’re a woman driver, you can now avoid male passengers during peak hours.
Is this the fix-all solution?
Not even close. But it’s a start—a glimmer of actual choice in an industry that’s struggled with safety scandals for years. Uber’s execs are touting this as a “first for the industry,” and if it pushes rivals to step up, even better.
For now, it’s a pilot in three cities. If you’re in LA, SF, or Detroit, give it a spin. If you’re elsewhere, keep an eye out—Uber says expansion is on the horizon.
What are your thoughts on Uber’s new “Women Preferences” feature? Would you use it or recommend it? Share your opinion in the comments, or join the discussion on our Facebook or Twitter!
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