Uber is enhancing its commitment to safety within the ride-sharing sector by introducing a new feature designed specifically for women in the United States. Announced on Wednesday, the initiative—dubbed “Women Preferences”—will enable both female riders and drivers to connect exclusively with other women during trips.
This feature, which originated in Saudi Arabia in 2019, has expanded to 40 markets across the world and has facilitated over 100 million trips. The initial pilot cities for this U.S. rollout include Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit, with the feature expected to become operational in the coming weeks.
When requesting a ride on-demand, female riders will now see an option labeled “Women Drivers.” If the expected wait time is longer than desired, they have the flexibility to select another driver for quicker pickup. In addition, female riders can pre-schedule a female driver and also set their preference within the app to streamline future bookings.
While Uber cannot guarantee that women will always be matched with female drivers, the company asserts that the new feature will significantly enhance the likelihood of such pairings. For women drivers, the option to activate “Women Rider Preference” will allow them to be paired solely with female riders. This option will remain accessible even during peak demand periods, and users can easily toggle it on or off as needed.
Uber emphasized the importance of thoughtful design in developing the Women Preferences feature. Extensive testing and feedback from markets, including Germany and France, helped refine the functionality to better align with the needs of riders and drivers alike.
