Uber Launches Women-Only Driver Preference Nationwide

New feature allows female riders to request female drivers with varying wait time trade-offs.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 3:10pm

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Uber has launched its Women Preferences feature nationwide, allowing female passengers to specifically request women drivers. The feature offers three booking options with varying wait time trade-offs. While the move aims to address safety concerns, it has faced some legal pushback from male drivers who claim it discriminates against them.

Why it matters

The new feature represents Uber's acknowledgment that rideshare safety is a legitimate concern, especially for women passengers. However, the limited supply of women drivers nationwide could lead to longer wait times in some areas, raising questions about convenience versus control over the ride experience.

The details

The Women Preferences feature gives female riders three options: on-demand requests for women drivers, advance bookings with gender preference locked in, and a standing preference that applies automatically. Women drivers can also opt to receive requests only from female passengers. The rollout follows a pilot in 60 cities in late 2025 before going nationwide this spring.

  • The Women Preferences feature launched nationwide on March 9, 2026.
  • Uber piloted the feature in 60 cities across the U.S. in late 2025.

The players

Uber

A major rideshare company that has now launched a women-only driver preference feature nationwide.

California male drivers

A group of male Uber drivers who have filed a class-action lawsuit alleging the women-only driver feature discriminates against them.

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What they’re saying

“Late-night rides home shouldn't feel like rolling dice with your safety, yet millions of women calculate those risks every time they open a rideshare app.”

— Annemarije de Boer, Technology journalist (gadgetreview.com)

What’s next

The class-action lawsuit from California male drivers against Uber's women-only driver preference feature is ongoing, with the judge set to rule on the case in the coming weeks.

The takeaway

Uber's new women-only driver preference feature aims to address legitimate safety concerns for female passengers, but the limited supply of women drivers nationwide could lead to longer wait times in some areas, creating a trade-off between convenience and control over the ride experience.