Uber Expands Women-Driver Matching Feature Amid Discrimination Lawsuits

NEW YORK (AP) — Uber is rolling out a feature nationwide allowing women riders and drivers across the U.S. To be matched with other women for trips, expanding a pilot program designed to address safety concerns. The expansion comes despite ongoing class action lawsuits in California alleging the policy is discriminatory against men.

Addressing Safety Concerns, Facing Legal Challenges

The feature, announced in a blog post, offers several options for women riders. Passengers can request a female driver through an option called “Women Drivers,” and can opt for another ride if the wait is too long. Users can also reserve a trip with a woman driver in advance, or set a preference in their app settings to increase the likelihood of being matched with a female driver, though this does not guarantee a match. Uber also allows teen account users to request women drivers.

Uber drivers can also set preferences to request trips with female riders and can turn off this preference at any time.

Lawsuits Allege Discrimination

Two California Uber drivers filed a class-action lawsuit in November, arguing that the “Women Preferences” feature violates California’s Unruh Act, which prohibits sex discrimination by business enterprises. The lawsuit claims the feature gives female drivers access to the entire passenger pool, although leaving male drivers to compete for a smaller pool. The suit further argues that the policy “reinforces the gender stereotype that men are more dangerous than women.”

Uber has filed a motion to compel arbitration in the case, citing agreements plaintiffs signed when joining the app. In the motion, Uber maintains the feature serves a public policy interest in enhancing safety.

“This feature is a common sense solution to a long-standing request from both women Drivers and Riders who told Uber they would sense more comfortable and safer if they could choose to ride with another woman,” the company said in a court filing.

A similar lawsuit has been filed against Lyft by two drivers concerning its “Women+Connect” feature, which allows women and nonbinary riders to match with drivers of the same identification.

Expansion and Safety Record

Uber piloted the “Women Preferences” feature in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Detroit last summer, expanding it to 26 U.S. Cities in November. The company first launched a version of the feature in Saudi Arabia in 2019 following the country’s law granting women the right to drive, and now offers similar options in 40 other countries, including Canada and Mexico.

Both Uber and Lyft have faced criticism regarding their safety records, including reports of sexual assaults involving passengers and drivers. In February, a federal jury found Uber legally responsible in a 2023 sexual assault case, ordering the company to pay $8.5 million to an Arizona woman who alleged she was raped by a driver.

Uber maintains that, because its drivers are contractors, it is not liable for their misconduct. However, the company says it has taken steps to improve safety, including collaborating with Lyft in 2021 to create a database of drivers ousted from their services due to complaints of sexual assault and other crimes.

Uber reports a decrease in sexual assault reports over the years. According to Uber’s data, 5,981 incidents of sexual assault were reported in U.S. Rides between 2017 and 2018, compared to 2,717 between 2021 and 2022 – representing 0.0001% of total trips nationwide.