Uber Rolls Out Women-Only Ride Option Across the United States
Uber has expanded a pilot program nationwide, introducing a feature that allows female riders and drivers in the United States to be matched with each other for trips. This initiative, launched on Monday, aims to address long-standing safety concerns associated with the ride-hailing platform. The expansion occurs despite an ongoing class-action lawsuit in California, where drivers argue the policy discriminates against men.
Legal Challenges and Rival Actions
The new feature, detailed in a company blog post, enables women to request a female driver through an app option labeled "women drivers." Passengers can opt for alternative rides if wait times are excessive or reserve trips with female drivers in advance. Additionally, female users can set a preference for female drivers in their app settings, increasing matching chances without guarantees. Uber is also extending this option to teen account users.
Female drivers can adjust app preferences to accept trips from female riders and modify these settings at any time. Based in San Francisco, Uber reports that approximately one-fifth of its U.S. drivers are women, though this ratio varies by city.
In November, two California Uber drivers filed a class-action lawsuit, claiming the women-only feature violates California's Unruh Act, which prohibits sex discrimination by businesses. The lawsuit alleges that female drivers gain access to the entire passenger pool, while male drivers compete for a reduced pool, and argues the policy reinforces gender stereotypes that men are more dangerous.
Uber has filed a motion to compel arbitration, citing driver agreements, and disputes the Unruh Act violation, stating the feature serves a strong public policy interest in enhancing safety. The company emphasized in court filings that this option responds to requests from women drivers and riders for greater comfort and security.
Industry-Wide Safety Concerns and Pilot History
Rival company Lyft faces a similar discrimination lawsuit over its "women+connect" feature, introduced nationwide in 2024, which allows women and non-binary riders to match with drivers of the same identification. Both Uber and Lyft have faced years of criticism over safety records, including thousands of sexual assault reports from passengers and drivers.
In February, a federal jury found Uber legally responsible in a 2023 sexual assault case, ordering the company to pay $8.5 million to an Arizona woman who reported rape by a driver. Uber maintains that drivers are contractors, not employees, limiting its liability for misconduct, but notes steps taken to improve safety, such as partnering with Lyft in 2021 to create a database of drivers removed for sexual assault and other crimes.
Uber reports a decline in sexual assault incidents, with 5,981 cases between 2017 and 2018 compared to 2,717 between 2021 and 2022, representing 0.0001% of total U.S. trips. The women-only feature was piloted in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Detroit last summer, expanded to 26 U.S. cities in November, and first launched in Saudi Arabia in 2019 following laws granting women driving rights. It is now available in over 40 countries, including Canada and Mexico.
