Uber launches women-only option across the US

"The new feature is being rolled out nationwide despite an ongoing class action lawsuit against the policy in California, filed by Uber drivers who argue that it is discriminatory against men. The lawsuit charges that the feature gives its minority female drivers access to the entire pool of passengers, while leaving its majority male drivers to compete for a smaller pool of passengers."

"The feature, announced in a blog post, allows women to request a female driver through an option on the app called women drivers. Passengers can opt for another ride if the wait for a woman is too long, and they can also reserve a trip with a female driver in advance. A third option allows female users to set a preference for a female driver in their app settings."

"Two California Uber drivers filed a class-action lawsuit against Uber in November, arguing that its women preferences feature violates California's Unruh Act, which prohibits sex discrimination by business enterprises. The lawsuit also argues that Uber's policy reinforces the gender stereotype that men are more dangerous than women."

Uber launched a nationwide feature enabling female riders and drivers to be matched exclusively with other women through multiple options: direct requests, advance reservations, or preference settings. The feature also extends to teen account users requesting female drivers. Female drivers can similarly request female passengers and toggle this preference anytime. Approximately one-fifth of Uber's US drivers are women, with ratios varying by city. The rollout proceeds despite an ongoing California class-action lawsuit filed by male Uber drivers claiming the policy violates the Unruh Act by discriminating against men. The lawsuit argues the feature gives female drivers access to the entire passenger pool while restricting male drivers to a smaller pool, and reinforces harmful gender stereotypes. Lyft faces comparable discrimination litigation over its similar 2024 nationwide offering.

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