Almost tying in with International Women’s Day, Uber has announced the expansion of its Women Preferences schemes across the whole of the US. The company is also making the safety features available in more cities around the world.
Women Preferences are designed for both drivers and riders, with each able to specify that they would prefer to be connected with women riders or women drivers respectively. The scheme has been running since 2019, but this is the biggest expansion yet.
The expansion of availability starts immediately, but Women Preferences are far from being accessible everywhere. Depending on where you are in the world, it may only be available for drivers, only for riders, for both, or for neither.
Going a little into the history behind it, Uber says:
Women Preferences was created because women asked for it. What began in 2019 after women in Saudi Arabia gained the right to drive and we piloted Women Preferences has grown into a global movement as women around the world embrace more control over how they use Uber.
Over 230 million global trips later, Women Preferences is now available for drivers in over 40 countries, and for riders across 7 countries, including the U.S., Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Brazil, and Spain.
Highlighting the benefits of the scheme, Uber explains the key features:
- Request a ride on-demand by selecting Women Drivers when they order a trip. If the wait time is longer than anticipated, they can always opt for another ride with a faster pickup.
- Reserve a trip with a woman driver in advance for even more planning and certainty
- Set a preference for a woman driver in their app settings. While it’s not guaranteed, toggling on the preference for women drivers increases your chances of being matched with a woman driver
In addition, it is also possible for teenage riders to request – or for the parents or guardians to request for them – women drivers. Uber explains:
In cities where teen accounts are available, teens and their guardians can also request women drivers — both for on-demand trips and when reserving in advance. It’s another way we’re helping give families more choice when using Uber.
Uber shares the following video to highlight the benefits of Women Preferences:
Find out more here.
