Uber's new feature lets women choose female drivers

Just after International Women’s Day, Uber rolled out a new nationwide option allowing women riders to request female drivers.

The feature, called Women Preferences, lets women riders, women drivers and teens choose trips with female drivers. Uber said the expansion follows feedback from women who wanted more control over how they ride and earn on the platform.

Uber piloted Women Preferences last year in several cities in the United States, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Phoenix and Denver.

Beginning Monday, March 9, the option became available in additional major markets such as New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Uber said women in other locations will see the feature added to their app in the coming days.

"These features are designed to offer more choice, comfort and control by allowing women riders, women drivers and teens to choose to request trips with women on Uber," the company said in a statement.

How to use Uber’s Women Preferences feature

Women riders can access Women Preferences directly in the Uber app when requesting a ride. After entering their trip details, an option labeled Women Drivers will appear, allowing riders to request a female driver.

Uber notes that wait times may be longer when using the option. If a faster pickup is needed, riders can choose a standard ride or book a trip for a later time. Uber has published a demo showing how the feature works.

Riders can also reserve a trip in advance with a female driver by using Uber’s reservation feature and pre‑booking with Women Preferences enabled.

For those who want to prioritize female drivers on all trips, Uber allows riders to set a female‑driver preference in the app’s settings. The company says toggling the preference increases the likelihood of being matched with a woman driver, though matches are not guaranteed.

Drivers who want to use the feature can turn on Women Rider Preference in the settings of the Uber Driver app. The preference can be switched off at any time, allowing drivers to accept rides from all riders.

Teens and guardians can also request women drivers on demand through Uber’s teen accounts.

Uber first introduced Women Rider Preference for drivers in Saudi Arabia in 2019, following the passage of a law granting women the right to drive. The feature has since expanded to more than 40 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Mexico and Poland.

The company bases gender on driver's license information, Uber told USA TODAY. Before the driver arrives, riders are given information, including the driver's first name, photo and vehicle details, including the make, model, color and license plate.

If a woman rider requests a woman driver and the driver doesn't match the information in the app, riders can report the issue to Uber so the company can investigate and take action, Uber added.

Opposition to feature

Not everyone supports the expansion of the feature.

In November 2025, a group of male Uber drivers filed a lawsuit in California Superior Court in San Francisco, accusing the company of sex‑based discrimination tied to the Women Preferences policy.

"Male drivers, in other words, are discriminated against and receive fewer and different rides than they otherwise would absent the policy," the complaint states. The lawsuit notes that about 80% of Uber drivers are male, compared with roughly 20% who are female, arguing that the imbalance limits ride opportunities for men under the program.

The rollout also comes as Uber continues to face scrutiny over rider safety. In recent years, thousands of sexual assault lawsuits have been filed against the ride‑hailing company.

In February, a federal jury in Phoenix ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million to a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by a driver in Arizona when she was 19 — a verdict that could influence thousands of similar cases nationwide.

In an emailed statement to USA TODAY, Uber said it can't comment on pending litigation but noted that it would be appealing the $8.5 million ruling.

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected]