Uber expands options for drivers, riders to opt out of men

Uber is now offering its women-only safety feature, known as Women Preferences, to users nationwide.

First launched to pilot markets in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit last July, the feature lets users and drivers select gender preferences for ride matches and schedule rides with women drivers. The setting is also available for Uber Teen Accounts.

"Women Preferences was created because women asked for it," the company wrote in a March 9 blog post.

According to the company, Women Preferences has been used for 230 million rides since its launch. It's available for drivers in 40 countries and for riders in seven countries (the U.S., Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Brazil, and Spain).

Uber's competitor Lyft launched a similar feature connecting women and nonbinary riders to non-male drivers nearly two years earlier. Lyft expanded the Women+ Connect tool nationwide in 2024. Both companies have weathered complaints that the ride-sharing apps are not doing enough to address rider assaults.

Last month, Uber was found partially liable for sexual violence perpetrated by one of its drivers and ordered to pay more than $8 million in damages. Rider Jaylynn Dean sued the company after she was raped by a driver in 2023 and discovered the company hadn't notified her that her trip was flagged for a potential serious safety incident. Uber faces thousands of pending sexual assault and sexual misconduct lawsuits, according to the New York Times.

Meanwhile, male drivers have alleged that such safety features are a form of workplace gender discrimination. A group of ride-share employees recently filed several lawsuits claiming they have lost wages, arguing there are grounds for a class action lawsuit.