Uber defends launching women-only option for passengers

Warning: This article contains discussion of rape which some readers may find distressing.

Uber's women-only option has just been rolled out across the United States.

In a blog post shared by Uber earlier this week (9 March), the company stated: "When women riders and drivers told us they wanted more control over how they ride and earn, we listened. That feedback led to Women Preferences, features designed to give women the choice to ride with other women."

Since Uber's first pilots last summer, the company outlined that it's heard 'just how much that choice matter', whether that's 'feeling more comfortable in the back seat to more confident behind the wheel'.

As of Monday this week, 'Women Preferences' is expanding nationwide, to cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., as well as in more cities around the world too.

Uber's women-only option has just been rolled out across the United States this week (Serene Lee/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The new update will allow women to request a female driver through an option on the app called 'Women Drivers'.

They can always decide to take another ride if the wait for a woman is too long, and they can also reserve a trip with a woman driver in advance.

A third option allows female users to set a preference for a female driver in their app settings, which would increase the chances of being matched with a woman, but doesn’t guarantee it.

Uber also highlighted that the Women Preferences option was created 'because women asked for it'.

Uber first piloted the Women Preferences feature last summer (Uber)

Just last month, a US court ordered Uber to pay $8.5m (£6.2m) to a woman who said she was raped by a driver using the platform. The ruling may shape the outcome of thousands of similar cases filed against the company.

Uber had argued it should not be liable for crimes committed by drivers on the app, maintaining that those drivers are independent contractors who go through background checks during the vetting process.

The San Francisco-based company said it plans to appeal the verdict.

The new update will allow women to request a female driver through an option on the app called 'Women Drivers' (Getty Stock Images)

Two Californian Uber drivers have claimed that Uber breached state law by potentially giving female drivers access to a larger pool of passengers with the new feature.

According to the Associated Press, Uber has asked a court to halt the case and send it to private arbitration, pointing to an agreement the drivers accepted when they joined the app.

The company denies that the feature breaks the Unruh Civil Rights Act, which bans sex discrimination by businesses. It argues that the option supports a recognised public interest in improving safety.

Ann Olivarius, co-founder of the law firm McAllister Olivarius, which specialises in sex discrimination and sexual harassment cases, reckons Uber has a strong case against discrimination litigation because the features address an urgent business need to protect clients.

"Lowering a client's risk of rape - is that a business necessity? I would argue that it is a business necessity," she said.

Despite this, several critics have rushed to social media to claim the new feature rollout is discriminatory.

"Where is the rides by men, for men option. The sexism is insane," seethed one X user as a second piped up: "Is it possible to request that you DON’T get a female driver?"

A third demanded: "Where’s my men-only option?"

"Can we have a male-only option? I like to arrive safely," slammed a fourth.

The feature is not open to riders or drivers who identify as nonbinary (Getty Stock Images)

Others, however, had a starkly different stance.

"Do you think there's demand for that? If so, maybe you've got the next million-dollar idea. Go compete!" urged a fifth.

"It's about protecting women from rape. Any normal dude is okay with that," pointed out a sixth.

A seventh outlined: "Maybe stop being predators, and women won’t need to enact safety measures like this."

Another put forward: "I know this is gonna tweak out some women haters here, but this is a very good change. Many women have been made very uncomfortable when using a service that is meant to get us somewhere safe and unbothered. This gives a lot of people peace of mind, and that's never a bad thing!"

And a final supporter declared: "Lock up the guys that have an issue with this."

The feature is not open to riders or drivers who identify as nonbinary.

Uber has explained that the company relies on the gender listed on their driver's licenses, meaning that for transgender women, their ability to use the feature may depend on whether their state allows them to change their gender identification on official documents, per ABC7.

In response to questions from the Associated Press, Uber said 'we consulted with various women’s safety organisations and LGBTQ+ groups while designing this feature and determined that it is not the best way to serve non-binary riders or drivers'.

As of now, Women Preferences is available for drivers in over 40 countries, and for riders across seven countries, including the US, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Brazil, and Spain.

"Women asked for more choice — and we built it with Women Preferences," Brooke Anderson, Uber’s Head of Product Communications told Tyla in a statement. "This feature exists because women told us it should, and we are proud to expand Women Preferences nationwide and bring more flexibility and control to millions more women."

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 500 222, available 24/7. If you are currently in danger or need urgent medical attention, you should call 999.