Uber Empowers Women With New Ride Preferences For Safer, More Comfortable Travels.
To increase safety, and to give some level of power, Uber introduced a set of features aimed to give women, who ride and drive, more choice in who they are sharing rides with. The initiative reflects growing global demand for gender-sensitive transportation solutions—and comes as part of Uber’s ongoing efforts to build a safer ride-hailing experience.
More Choice, More Comfort
“Across the U.S., women riders and drivers have consistently expressed their desire for more choice and comfort,” said Camiel Irving, Vice President of Operations for the U.S. and Canada, in a recent announcement. “We’ve heard them, and we’re responding.”
As part of a pilot programme launching in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit—where demand for women-specific options is particularly high—female passengers will be able to select preferences in the Uber app that increase their chances of being matched with women drivers. This includes options for on-demand rides, scheduled bookings, or setting a default preference in the app.
On the driver side, women using the platform will have the option to enable a “Women Rider Preference” feature, allowing them to accept ride requests only from women—particularly helpful during evening or late-night hours when safety concerns often spike. This setting can be toggled on or off at any time.
Safety at the Core
These features are part of a broader shift toward safety-first design in the ride-hailing space. Uber has faced growing pressure to address safety concerns, especially related to reports of harassment and assault. According to the company’s safety report, nearly 6,000 sexual assault cases were reported in the U.S. in 2017-2018, with that number declining to 2,717 by 2022—thanks in part to strengthened safety protocols.
Uber has also introduced safety tools like in-app audio recording during rides (accessible only if a safety incident is reported), and a dedicated safety hub where users can manage settings such as emergency contacts and trip sharing.
International Origins, Local Meaning
While not a completely new idea, the gender-preference function for Uber is one we think of as launching in Saudi Arabia in 2019 after women could drive and growing to over 40 countries from there (including India, Australia, Brazil, Egypt, France, and Mexico), and more than 100 million rides have been completed with the “Women Rider Preference” option everywhere.
There are already more companies getting into the women-focused mobility space. For example, in India, startups and local projects aim to provide women-only cab services, but large-scale services have been limited. Uber’s new features, however, bring the idea into the mainstream by integrating it within an existing, widely used platform.
Redesigning the Ride Experience
“We knew this couldn’t be a symbolic gesture,” Irving explained. “With most drivers being men, making this feature functional across different geographies required careful testing and adaptation.”
As Uber continues refining its features based on user feedback from across the world—including India—this marks a significant step toward creating safer, more inclusive transportation for women everywhere.
#UberEmpowersWomen#SaferRidesForWomen#ChoiceMatters#printpublication
#printmagazine #womenindia
