^{Photo: The Technology Express}

Uber is taking a significant step toward improving safety and comfort on its platform by allowing women riders and drivers in the U.S. to opt into gender-based pairing starting next month. The new feature, which is part of a pilot program launching in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit, will allow women passengers to request women drivers, and vice versa, directly from their app settings.

This update is the ride-hailing giant’s latest initiative aimed at making its platform safer and more accommodating, especially in light of ongoing concerns around sexual harassment and assault in the gig economy.

More Control for Women Riders and Drivers

According to Camiel Irving, Uber’s vice president of U.S. and Canada operations, the new feature is about giving women “more choice, more control, and more comfort” when they use Uber—either as riders or drivers.

While Uber emphasized that matches based on gender preference aren’t guaranteed, the company noted that activating this setting will significantly increase the likelihood of being paired with a same-gender counterpart.

International Precedent and U.S. Rollout

This isn’t Uber’s first exploration of gender-preference tools. In 2019, the company launched a similar feature for women drivers in Saudi Arabia, shortly after the country lifted its ban on women driving. That program eventually expanded to 40 countries, including France, Germany, and Argentina—where the company gathered operational insights to help shape this U.S. rollout.

Pilot Locations and Expansion Plans

The pilot will begin in three major U.S. cities—Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit—by next month, with potential expansion depending on user adoption and feedback.

Uber did not offer a specific timeline for a national rollout but confirmed that the pilot will be closely monitored for performance and customer satisfaction.

Response to Safety Concerns

Both Uber and its rival Lyft have long been under pressure to address safety concerns, particularly around incidents involving sexual misconduct. According to Uber’s own transparency reports, thousands of sexual assault claims have been filed over recent years.

As part of its broader safety campaign, Uber has launched tools like trip tracking, PIN verification for riders, and teen accounts with extra safety layers. Lyft, in a similar move, introduced a women and nonbinary rider-driver preference feature in late 2023, reflecting a growing industry focus on rider autonomy and trust.

Women Still Underrepresented Among Drivers

A 2015 Uber survey revealed that only about 20% of its U.S. drivers were women, highlighting a long-standing gender gap. The company hopes that initiatives like gender-preference matching will not only improve safety but also encourage more women to drive for the platform by addressing core concerns around personal security.

Looking Ahead

While the feature is still in its trial phase, it represents a major evolution in the ride-hailing experience, responding to years of public pressure, internal studies, and global pilot data.

Uber’s leadership emphasized that the move is part of a broader mission to create a more inclusive and responsive platform, with ongoing updates likely as more feedback is collected during the U.S. pilot.

For riders and drivers who have long sought safer options, this may mark a pivotal shift in how ride-hailing services evolve to meet the nuanced needs of diverse users.

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