The reasons behind Uber’s new ‘Women Preferences’: these three cities will be the first to try the feature

Is this what you’ve been waiting for? Uber is finally introducing its ‘Women Preferences’ feature in the U.S., designed to give female riders the option to be matched with women drivers, and vice versa. That’s something many women have been asking for.

What is Uber’s ‘Women Preferences’ service?

According to the company, women across the U.S. have been clear: they’d feel more comfortable if they could ride with other women. The feature will offer female passengers a setting called ‘Women Drivers’, which can be turned on before requesting a trip. You’ll also be able to pre-book rides with women and save that preference in your profile.

The same flexibility goes to drivers. Female Uber drivers will see a ‘Women Rider Preference’ option in their app settings, giving them the ability to filter for women passengers. These preferences don’t block other ride matches entirely, but they increase the odds significantly.

What’s behind Uber’s ‘Women Preferences’ service?

It’s no secret Uber has had problems with safety. While reported incidents of sexual assault have declined – from nearly 6,000 in 2017–18 to 2,717 by 2022 – the risk hasn’t disappeared. Five lawsuits were filed against Uber in 2022 over sexual assaults that allegedly occurred during rides.

This feature won’t fix everything – especially given that currently most Uber drivers are male – but it’s part of a wider attempt to address those concerns. Uber says it tested the feature in countries like Germany and France before bringing it stateside. It joins a growing list of safety tools in the app, like audio recording, emergency sharing, and in-trip help.

When will Uber’s new ‘Women Preferences’ begin and where?

While there doesn’t appear to be an actual date announced, it should be available in your app – if you’re in the chosen pilot locations of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit – before the end of August.

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