Uber has announced the launch of Women Preferences, a pilot feature in select U.S. cities that allows women riders and drivers to choose to be matched with other women. This initiative aims to increase choice and safety for its users.
According to Uber Newsroom, Women Preferences was developed in response to consistent feedback from women riders and drivers who requested more control over how they use the Uber platform. The feature is being piloted in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit, enabling women riders to choose rides with women drivers and vice versa. These new options are intended to increase comfort, safety, and flexibility for women using Uber.
As reported by Axios, Women Preferences allows women riders to choose from three matching methods: on-demand requests for women drivers, reserving rides in advance with a woman driver, and setting a woman driver preference in the app for all rides. Women drivers can enable a Women Rider Preference, making it possible to accept only ride requests from women, including during peak times. Uber explains that while the feature is not guaranteed to always match by gender, the options substantially increase the likelihood.
According to Business Insider, Uber’s Women Preferences was first piloted internationally with a 2019 launch in Saudi Arabia after women gained the legal right to drive. Since then, the feature has expanded to 40 countries, facilitating more than 100 million trips globally where women riders and drivers are matched. Feedback from pilots in Germany and France helped refine the feature for the U.S. rollout.
Uber Technologies Inc., as said by Uber Newsroom, is a global mobility platform founded in 2010 that operates in over 70 countries. Known for providing ride-hailing, delivery, and freight services, Uber’s commitment to safety and inclusion includes developing features like in-app safety tools and initiatives promoting flexible options for users worldwide.
