Uber Expands Women‑Only Ride‑Matching Nationwide Amid Sex‑Bias Lawsuit
Uber on Monday rolled its "Women Drivers" option nationwide in the U.S., letting women riders request a female driver for a specific trip, reserve one ahead, or set a preference to increase (but not guarantee) matches — and the feature will also be available to teen-account users; Uber says about one-fifth of U.S. drivers are women, with variation by city. The rollout comes amid a sex‑bias lawsuit: Uber argues in a motion to compel arbitration that the feature "serves a strong and recognized public policy interest in enhancing safety," while rival Lyft faces a parallel discrimination suit over its Women+Connect feature.
📌 Key Facts
- Uber launched its in-app 'Women Drivers' option nationwide in the U.S. on Monday, March 9, 2026; reports frame the rollout as an effort to address platform safety concerns.
- The 'Women Drivers' option lets riders request a female driver for a specific trip, reserve a female driver ahead of time, or set a rider-level preference that increases (but does not guarantee) matching with women drivers.
- Teen-account users are permitted to request women drivers under the program, explicitly adding that vulnerable user group to the feature.
- Uber says about one-fifth of U.S. drivers are women, with significant variation by city — a practical limit on how often women-driver requests can be fulfilled.
- Amid a sex-bias/discrimination lawsuit over the feature, Uber moved to compel arbitration, arguing the women-only option 'serves a strong and recognized public policy interest in enhancing safety.'
- Lyft faces a parallel discrimination lawsuit over its 'Women+Connect' feature, so both major U.S. ride-hailing companies are confronting similar legal challenges as they roll out gender-based matching.
📊 Relevant Data
Serious sexual assault reports in Uber rides are roughly four times higher when female passengers are paired with male drivers compared to other pairings.
Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuit | March 2026 Litigation Update — Lawsuit Information Center
Female Uber drivers earn approximately 7% less per hour than male drivers, with the gap fully explained by differences in driving speed, experience, and choices of where and when to drive.
The Gender Earnings Gap in the Gig Economy — Stanford University
In Uber's safety reports, riders are recorded as the accused parties in about 31% to 45% of sexual assault cases, depending on the reporting period.
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence: Categorizing and understanding rideshare violence through civil liability — ScienceDirect
Reports of serious sexual assault on Uber have decreased by 44% from 2017 to 2022.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms national rollout date and framing via an AP report: feature launched Monday and is described as addressing concerns about platform safety.
- Clarifies feature structure and naming: riders see an in-app 'Women Drivers' option; women can either request a female driver for a specific trip, reserve ahead, or set a preference to increase (but not guarantee) matching with women drivers.
- Notes that Uber will allow teen-account users to request women drivers, adding a specific vulnerable user group to the program.
- Adds Uber’s assertion that about one-fifth of U.S. drivers are women, with variation by city, fleshing out the practical limits of the feature.
- Provides additional detail on Uber’s legal stance in its motion to compel arbitration, quoting language that the feature 'serves a strong and recognized public policy interest in enhancing safety.'
- Reiterates that Lyft faces a parallel discrimination lawsuit over its 'Women+Connect' feature, highlighting that both dominant U.S. ride-hailers now face similar legal challenges as they roll out gender-based matching.