NEW YORK CITY, New York: Uber has launched a nationwide feature in the United States that allows women riders and drivers to be matched with other women, expanding a pilot program designed to address safety concerns on its ride-hailing platform.

The option allows female passengers to request trips with women drivers through a new setting in the Uber app called "Women Drivers." The rollout comes even as the company faces a class-action lawsuit in California from drivers who say the policy discriminates against men.

Rival ride-hailing company Lyft is facing a similar discrimination lawsuit over its own women-focused feature, which it introduced nationwide in 2024.

Uber's feature gives riders several ways to seek a female driver. Passengers can request a woman driver directly, reserve trips with one in advance, or set a preference in their app settings that increases the chances of being matched with a woman, though it does not guarantee one. If wait times become too long, riders can opt to accept another driver.

Teen account users are also allowed to request women drivers.

Female Uber drivers can also choose to prioritize trips with female riders through their app preferences, which they can switch on or off at any time.

Uber, headquartered in San Francisco, said about one-fifth of its drivers in the United States are women, though the proportion varies by city.

Lawsuit Challenges Policy

Two California Uber drivers filed a class-action lawsuit in November arguing that the new feature violates the state's Unruh Act, which prohibits sex discrimination by business enterprises. The lawsuit claims the policy could give female drivers access to a larger pool of riders.

The complaint also argues that Uber's feature "reinforces the gender stereotype that men are more dangerous than women."

Uber has responded by filing a motion to compel arbitration, pointing to agreements the plaintiffs signed when they joined the platform as drivers. In that motion, the company said the feature does not violate the Unruh Act and instead "serves a strong and recognized public policy interest in enhancing safety."

Ann Olivarius, co-founder of the law firm McAllister Olivarius, which specializes in sex discrimination and sexual harassment cases, said she believes Uber and Lyft have strong defenses against discrimination claims.

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

Expansion of a Global Feature

Uber first tested the "Women's Preferences" option in the United States last summer in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Detroit before expanding it to 26 cities in November.

The concept originated internationally. Uber introduced a version of the feature in Saudi Arabia in 2019, shortly after women were granted the legal right to drive in the country. Since then, the company has rolled out similar options in more than 40 countries, including Canada and Mexico.

Both Uber and Lyft have faced thousands of reports of sexual assaults over the years involving passengers and drivers.

In February, a federal jury found Uber legally responsible in a 2023 sexual assault case and ordered the company to pay $8.5 million to an Arizona woman who said she was raped by one of its drivers.

Uber has argued that because its drivers are independent contractors, it is not liable for their misconduct. Still, the company says it has introduced multiple safety measures in recent years.

In 2021, Uber and Lyft jointly created a database of drivers who had been removed from their platforms following complaints of sexual assault or other crimes.

Mixed Views From Drivers

Melody Flores, a 41-year-old Uber driver in San Francisco, said she now relies heavily on the women-only matching option when working overnight shifts while raising her 4-year-old daughter during the day.

Flores said she previously dealt with intoxicated male passengers who made inappropriate comments.

"Especially when you work overnight, it's been nice to have that feature," Flores said.

She now mostly drives women leaving late shifts at hospitals or restaurants, or heading home from parties, and said she feels more comfortable accepting rides in neighborhoods that once made her uneasy.

Not all drivers believe the feature will have a large practical impact.

Sergio Avedian, who drives for both Uber and Lyft and contributes to the driver-focused blog The RideShare Guy, said the limited number of female drivers could make the feature unreliable, especially late at night.

"Are you going to sit there in front of the bar and wait an extra 20 minutes to get matched to a woman?" Avedian said. "For the riders, it's mostly about how fast can you get here and how much is it?"

Uber said it hopes the feature will encourage more women to drive on its platform and has launched a marketing campaign featuring athletes, including Alex Morgan and Jordan Chiles.

Unlike Lyft's Women+Connect option, Uber's program is not available to riders or drivers who identify as nonbinary.

For drivers, Uber said it relies on the gender listed on a driver's license to determine eligibility for the feature. That means whether transgender women can use the option may depend on whether their state allows them to update gender markers on official identification.

In response to questions from The Associated Press, Uber said it consulted with women's safety groups and LGBTQ+ organizations while designing the feature.

"We consulted with various women's safety organizations and LGBTQ+ groups while designing this feature and determined that it is not the best way to serve non-binary riders or drivers."