Uber and the United Nations announced a decade ago that they would create one million jobs for women by 2020. This is a part of their initiative to recognize the impact of women in society and promote gender equality.
Fast forward to 2026, and the ride-hailing giant rolled out more jobs for women. What's more, the company introduced its Women Preferences feature nationwide, allowing female riders and drivers to match with other women for trips. The safety-focused option aims to address long-standing concerns about passenger and driver security on ride-hailing platforms.
Female Drivers Can Choose Female Riders
Through the new feature, women riders can select a "Women Drivers" option within the app to increase their chances of being paired with a female driver. If wait times are too long, users can switch to a standard ride request. Riders can also reserve trips with female drivers in advance or set a permanent preference in their account settings.
The feature also gives women drivers greater control over their trips. Female drivers can adjust their app preferences to prioritize ride requests from women passengers. They can enable or disable the option at any time.
According to Uber, women make up roughly 20% of drivers in the United States, although the percentage varies significantly depending on the city.
Still, Uber needs to take things more seriously when it comes to women's safety. According to a Tech Times report in February, the company was found liable after a woman said she was raped by her driver.
The jury awarded the woman $8.5 million in compensatory damages. However, the punitive damages were not granted.
Legal Challenges Over Discrimination Claims
Despite its safety-focused goal, the new feature has sparked controversy. According to Associated Press, two California drivers filed a class-action lawsuit arguing that the policy discriminates against male drivers and violates California's Unruh Civil Rights Act. The lawsuit claims the feature allows female drivers access to the full passenger pool while limiting opportunities for male drivers.
Uber disputes these claims, stating the feature supports a legitimate safety policy. The company has filed a motion to compel arbitration, citing agreements signed by drivers when they joined the platform.
Growing Industry Focus on Rider Safety
Competitor Lyft introduced a similar feature called Women+Connect in 2024, which allows women and nonbinary riders to match with drivers with the same identification.
Uber initially tested Women Preferences in cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Detroit before expanding it nationwide. The company also offers similar options in over 40 countries, including Canada and Mexico.
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