Uber Introduces Female Driver Request Feature in Select U.S. Cities

As part of a growing commitment to rider and driver safety, Uber pilots its “Women Preferences” feature in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit—empowering women with more control over their rideshare experience.

In a move toward safer and more personalized rideshare experiences, Uber has announced a new pilot feature in the United States that allows women riders to request female drivers. The initiative, named Women Preferences, will initially launch in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit over the coming weeks, the company revealed in a blog post on Wednesday.

This marks the first time Uber is offering this feature within the U.S., following its successful rollout in over 40 countries globally. It places Uber in line with competitors such as Lyft, and women-centric rideshare services like HERide and Just Her Rideshare, which already offer gender-preference options for safer and more comfortable rides.

“Across the US, women riders and drivers have told us they want the option to be matched with other women on trips,” said Camiel Irving, Uber’s Vice President of Operations in the U.S. and Canada.

Once the feature becomes available, female riders will see a new option labeled “Women Drivers” in their app, allowing them to set a preference for being matched with a female driver. The feature also supports advance ride bookings with women drivers. Importantly, the flexibility remains—riders and drivers can still opt to connect with individuals of any gender if they choose to.

Uber is also extending this functionality to women drivers, who will now be able to set a “Women Rider Preference,” making it easier for them to drive passengers with whom they may feel more at ease.

The launch is backed by international testing and feedback from markets like Germany and France, where Uber fine-tuned the feature for consistent performance—particularly important given the current gender imbalance in the rideshare driver base, where men still make up the majority.

The move is a significant step in Uber’s broader safety mission. The company has struggled with sexual assault allegations for years. According to Uber’s own safety report, nearly 6,000 sexual assault reports were recorded between 2017 and 2018. That number dropped to 2,717 by 2022, though incidents persist. In 2022, five passengers sued Uber over alleged sexual assaults occurring between August 2021 and February 2022.

Uber also faced regulatory action. In 2020, the California Public Utilities Commission fined the company $59 million for not providing sexual assault data, though the fine was later reduced to $150,000 after Uber agreed to share anonymized information.

To address safety concerns, Uber has previously launched a Safety Preferences Hub within the app, giving users access to tools like ride tracking, emergency help buttons, and more.

With the introduction of Women Preferences, Uber takes another meaningful step in reshaping its platform into one where riders and drivers—especially women—can feel safer and more in control.

This feature could redefine the rideshare experience for women in the U.S., offering a model of safety-driven innovation that other tech platforms may soon follow.