Uber introduces new option for female passengers to select female drivers

Uber launches new feature in United States that lets women riders request female drivers The option aims to give more control and comfort during trips while also allowing women drivers and teen accounts to prefer rides with female drivers

Uber has introduced a new option across the United States that enables women passengers to specifically request rides with female drivers. The feature, called Women Preferences, was announced shortly after International Women's Day and is designed to give female users greater control over their travel experience within the platform.

The option is not limited to women riders. It also applies to women who work as drivers on the platform and to teenagers using Uber accounts, allowing them to prioritize trips with female drivers. According to the company, the initiative is intended to provide additional choice and a more comfortable environment for certain users.

The program was previously tested in several American cities before being expanded nationwide. Initial trials took place in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Denver during the previous year. After receiving positive feedback from participants who wanted more flexibility when requesting rides or accepting trip requests, Uber decided to broaden the availability of the feature.

Starting Monday, March 9, the option became available in several major metropolitan markets including New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Uber reported that users in other regions of the country will gain access to the function in the following days as the rollout continues.

Women passengers can activate the feature directly within the Uber mobile application while requesting transportation. To use the option, the rider enters trip details and selects the available setting that prioritizes female drivers. The request is then processed by the system in an attempt to match the passenger with a woman driver.

The company notes that enabling this preference can increase waiting time for a vehicle because the system searches for available drivers that meet the selected criteria. Users who require a faster pickup can choose a standard ride request instead or schedule transportation in advance.

Uber also provides additional settings connected to the new feature. Riders can pre-book trips with a female driver through the reservation system or set a default preference in the application settings that increases the likelihood of matching with a woman driver. However, the company indicates that such matches cannot always be guaranteed.

Drivers who use the Uber Driver application are also able to activate a similar setting called Women Rider Preference. This option allows female drivers to prioritize ride requests from women passengers while still maintaining the ability to accept other trips offered through the platform.

Teen accounts within the service can also take advantage of the option. Teenagers and their guardians are able to request transportation with a female driver when booking a trip through Uber's youth account system.

The concept behind the feature has previously been implemented in other regions. Uber first introduced a similar preference option in Saudi Arabia in 2019 after women were legally permitted to drive in the country. Since that launch, the Women Preferences system has expanded to more than forty countries, including Poland.

When assigning drivers, Uber determines the driver's gender using information provided in their driver's license documentation. Before pickup, passengers receive identifying details about the assigned driver through the application, including the driver's first name, photograph, vehicle make, model, color, and license plate number.

If a passenger requests a female driver but believes the assigned driver does not match the information displayed in the application, the user can report the discrepancy to Uber. The company states that such reports are reviewed and investigated to ensure compliance with the platform's policies.

The introduction of the feature has also generated criticism and legal challenges. In November 2025, a group of male Uber drivers filed a lawsuit in the California Superior Court in San Francisco. The complaint argues that the Women Preferences system results in sex-based discrimination by reducing the number of ride opportunities available to male drivers.

According to the lawsuit, male drivers could receive fewer trip requests because some passengers will specifically choose female drivers. The filing also notes that the majority of drivers working on the platform are men. Approximately eighty percent of Uber drivers are male, while around twenty percent are female.

The expansion of the preference option comes amid continued attention to passenger safety issues involving ride-hailing services. In February, a federal jury in Phoenix awarded 8.5 million dollars to a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by an Uber driver in Arizona when she was nineteen years old. The verdict could influence other related cases filed across the United States.

Uber has stated that it intends to appeal the decision in that case and declined to provide additional comments regarding ongoing litigation.

The Women Preferences option is intended to provide women riders, female drivers, and teen users with an additional way to request trips involving female drivers. While the initiative has been welcomed by many users who want more control over their ride experience, it has also prompted debate and legal scrutiny concerning gender-based ride selection within the service.

The feature is currently active in numerous large American cities and is expected to continue expanding as the nationwide rollout progresses.

Sources:

• AP News - Uber’s women-only option goes nationwide in the U.S.
• TechTimes - Uber Rolls Out Women Driver Matching Feature Nationwide
• PBS NewsHour - Women-only option for Uber goes nationwide in U.S.
• Uber's new feature lets women choose female drivers