Uber Launches Women-Only Ride Preference Nationwide

The feature, called “Women Preferences,” began appearing in the Uber app this week and will continue rolling out across the country over the next few days. It lets women riders request a female driver when booking a trip, reserve one ahead of time, or turn on a setting in the app that prioritizes being matched with women drivers. Uber says the match is not guaranteed, but the preference increases the chances of being paired with a woman behind the wheel.

Women drivers also get a similar option. They can toggle a setting that prioritizes trip requests from women riders, which Uber says gives them more control over how they work and who they pick up. Drivers can switch the feature on or off whenever they want.

The idea itself is not complicated. Uber says it came directly from feedback from women using the platform. Many riders said they would feel more comfortable if they had the option to ride with another woman, while some drivers said they would prefer picking up female passengers when possible.

In announcing the rollout, Uber framed the feature as a response to those requests. According to the company, the goal is simply to give women more choice when using the platform, whether they are sitting in the back seat or driving the car.

This nationwide launch follows several test runs over the past year. Uber first piloted the feature in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit last summer. After expanding it to 26 U.S. cities in November, the company decided to take the next step and bring it nationwide.

The option also applies to teen accounts in places where those accounts are available. Teen riders and their guardians can choose to request a woman driver for both on-demand rides and trips scheduled in advance. Uber says that gives families another way to feel more comfortable when using the service.

While the feature is new to many U.S. riders, Uber has already tested the concept around the world. The company first launched a version of the feature in Saudi Arabia in 2019 after the country lifted its ban on women driving. Since then, similar options have expanded to dozens of markets.

Uber says more than 230 million trips globally have used the women-matching feature so far. Today it is available for drivers in over 40 countries and for riders in seven, including the United States, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Brazil, and Spain.

The rollout comes as ride-hailing companies continue trying to improve safety and rebuild trust with passengers. Uber and Lyft have both faced criticism in recent years over incidents involving drivers and riders, including reports of sexual assault during rides.

According to Uber’s safety reports, the number of reported sexual assault incidents on its platform has dropped in recent years. The company said 5,981 incidents were reported in U.S. rides between 2017 and 2018, compared with 2,717 between 2021 and 2022. Uber says those reports represent about 0.0001 percent of total trips nationwide.

Even so, safety concerns remain one of the most talked-about issues in the ride-hailing industry. Giving riders more control over who they ride with has become one of the ways companies are trying to address those concerns.

Not everyone is on board with the idea. The feature is already facing a legal challenge from two Uber drivers in California who filed a class-action lawsuit in November. They argue the policy discriminates against male drivers by giving women drivers access to the full pool of riders while male drivers compete for fewer passengers.

The lawsuit also claims the feature reinforces stereotypes that men are more dangerous than women. Uber has pushed back against that argument in court filings, saying the option responds to safety concerns raised by riders and drivers and serves a legitimate public interest.

The company has asked a court to move the dispute into arbitration, pointing to agreements drivers accept when joining the platform. The case is ongoing.

Uber is also not alone in experimenting with gender-based ride matching. Lyft launched a similar feature called Women+ Connect nationwide in 2024, which allows women and nonbinary riders and drivers to opt in to matching with one another.

One challenge for Uber may simply come down to numbers. Women currently make up about one in five Uber drivers in the United States, though that ratio varies depending on the city. That means riders who request a female driver might occasionally face longer wait times, especially in areas where fewer women are driving.

Still, Uber says the goal is not to replace standard ride options but to add another choice for people who want it. As the company put it when announcing the expansion, the feature exists because women asked for it.

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