California: Uber has introduced a nationwide feature in the US that matches female riders and drivers, expanding a pilot program intended to address safety concerns on its platform.
The rollout comes even as Uber faces a class-action lawsuit in California, filed by drivers who argue the policy discriminates against men. Similarly, rival Lyft is confronting a discrimination lawsuit over its comparable ‘women+connect’ feature, which launched nationwide in 2024.
The feature, announced in a blog post, lets passengers request a female driver through a ‘women drivers’ option in the app. Riders can opt for another trip if the wait for a female driver is too long, or they can schedule a ride in advance.
You asked, we listened: we’re bringing Women Preferences nationwide ✨ It’s all about putting more choice and control in your hands. pic.twitter.com/6SSeuoRw59
— Uber (@Uber) March 9, 2026
Female users may also set a preference in their app settings to increase the likelihood of being paired with a female driver, although this does not guarantee a match. Teen account users are also able to request female drivers.
Female drivers can choose to request trips with female passengers and can switch this preference on or off at any time. Uber, headquartered in San Francisco, reports that approximately 20 percent of its US drivers are women, though this ratio varies by city.
The California lawsuit, filed by two drivers in November, contends that the women-preferences feature violates the Unruh Act, which prohibits sex discrimination in business enterprises.
The plaintiffs argue that female drivers gain access to the entire passenger pool, while male drivers are left competing for a smaller pool. The suit also claims the feature reinforces the stereotype that men are more dangerous than women.
Uber has filed a motion to compel arbitration, citing agreements signed by drivers when joining the platform, and maintains the feature ‘serves a strong and recognized public policy interest in enhancing safety.’
The company further stated that the feature “addresses a longstanding request from both women drivers and riders who said they would feel more comfortable and safer riding with another woman.”
Lyft faces a similar lawsuit from two of its drivers over its ‘women+connect’ feature, which allows women and non-binary riders to be matched with drivers of the same identity.
Uber first piloted the women-preferences feature in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Detroit last summer, later expanding it to 26 US cities in November.
The company initially launched a version of the feature in Saudi Arabia in 2019 following the country’s landmark law granting women the right to drive, and it now offers similar options in 40 other countries, including Canada and Mexico.
Both Uber and Lyft have long faced criticism regarding safety, with thousands of reports of sexual assaults involving passengers and drivers. In February, a federal jury held Uber legally responsible for a 2023 sexual assault case, awarding $8.5 million to an Arizona woman who was raped by one of its drivers.
Uber maintains that because its drivers are independent contractors rather than employees, the company is not liable for their misconduct. Nonetheless, Uber says it has implemented multiple safety measures, including collaborating with Lyft in 2021 to create a shared database of drivers removed from ride-hailing services for sexual assault or other crimes.
Uber also reports that sexual assault incidents on its platform have declined over the years. Between 2017 and 2018, 5,981 incidents were reported in US rides, compared with 2,717 cases between 2021 and 2022, the latest available data, representing only 0.0001 percent of total trips nationwide.
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