Yahoo Finance How Uber’s new women-only feature will work
Uber has launched a new feature for female drivers, allowing them to select a preference for female passengers only.
The Women Rider Preference feature was designed to improve earning potential and opportunities for women and non-binary individuals.
Uber said the feature was introduced in response to feedback from driver-partners.
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The Women Rider Preference will be a new in-app feature which has already been tested in Latin America.
Uber said the feature contributed to 15 million trips and a 40 per cent increase in active female drivers in Mexico since it launched in November 2020.
Getting more women in the driver's seat
Uber said any driver who identified as female or non-binary could turn on the feature, allowing them to feel more safe while working during optimal earning hours, such as night time.
“Women that earn with the Uber app do so because it enables them to be their own boss, earn flexibly around their lifestyle and, in some cases, support a side hustle,” Uber Australia director of driver and marketplace Emma Foley said.
“By providing greater peace of mind with Women Rider Preference, we hope to support women and non-binary driver-partners in amplifying their current earning hours, while unlocking barriers preventing Australian women and non-binary individuals from accessing flexible earnings that support their ambitions.”
Women looking for opportunities to earn
A survey, commissioned by Uber, of 1,036 Australian women aged 18-60 found an overwhelming number were exploring new money-making opportunities.
Eight in 10 (82 per cent) said they were considering new ways to earn extra money to achieve their goals, passions and dreams, with 74 per cent open to starting a side hustle that complemented their day jobs.
For those who worked, 75 per cent were interested in exploring new opportunities that allowed them to be their own boss.
Despite this, 83 per cent of respondents said they would need greater flexibility to make it a reality.
On average, Australian women surveyed clocked up 117km per week, with eight in 10 (81 per cent) driving on at least a weekly basis.
“The Uber platform should reflect the diversity of the communities we operate in, including equitable gender representation among the driver-partner base,” Foley said.
“Women currently represent a small portion of driver-partners but we hope, by supporting women and non-binary individuals in unlocking more earning opportunities, that this will increase over time.”
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