Can You Request Female-Only Rideshare Drivers?
Across the U.S., women are particularly vulnerable to rideshare sexual assault due to the prevalence of male drivers and a lack of substantial background checks in hiring processes by companies like Uber and Lyft. While most Uber rides are completed with no safety issues, thousands of women have come forward with their harrowing and traumatic experiences by filing lawsuits against Uber for enabling sexual assault, kidnapping, and other violent crimes. For this reason, many female users would prefer to have a female driver.
In response to ongoing litigation and an increased public interest in a female-only rideshare driver service, Uber and Lyft have both recently updated their apps to include gender preferences for drivers and riders–though Uber’s update is only available in three U.S. cities.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
Survivor Advocate
- Over the past year, rideshare companies Uber and Lyft have rolled out several new app features that allow female passengers to request female drivers and vice versa.
- There are currently thousands of pending lawsuits in federal and state courts against Uber and Lyft from women who experienced sexual assault, harassment, and more inappropriate conduct by male drivers.
- For U.S. women who would like the option to set a preference for female rideshare drivers, Uber offers options in three cities, while Lyft offers preference settings in all cities where it operates. There are also several smaller-scale rideshare apps designed only for female and nonbinary drivers and riders.
Is There A Way to Get Only Female Uber Drivers?
In August 2025, Uber began rolling out a Women Preferences feature in several major U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit. The rideshare company said it heard users’ requests to be matched with over women on trips, so six years after first launching the Women Preferences service in Saudi Arabia, Uber brought it to select U.S. cities. The feature is designed to give female riders and drivers more choice and flexibility when they use Uber, as well as protect them from potential Uber sexual assault.
With the Women Preferences feature, women riders in participating cities will have multiple ways to choose rides with female drivers, including:
- Requesting a trip on demand: Riders can select an option titled Women Drivers when requesting an immediate trip. If the wait time is too long, they can opt for a different ride with a faster pickup, but potentially with a male driver.
- Reserving a trip in advance: Female riders can also pre-book trips with female drivers to decrease the potential for a long wait time.
- Setting a preference for female drivers: Riders in select cities can now set a preference for female drivers in their Uber app settings. This does not guarantee that riders will be matched with a woman driver, but it increases the chances.
How to Turn on Women+ Connect for Lyft
In 2024, Lyft introduced the Women+ Connect feature across the U.S. to allow female and nonbinary drivers and riders to increase their chances of matching with other female drivers and riders. In cities where Women+ Connect is available, women and nonbinary riders will be prompted to remain opted-in to the feature, or can opt out in the settings of the Lyft app. The feature will not guarantee a non-male driver, but it will prioritize gender when making a match. For drivers, Women+ Connect can be accessed in driving preferences and toggled anytime. This feature is not a perfect solution to Lyft sexual assault, but a step in the right direction.
Are There Any Female-Only Rideshare Apps?
While some experts believe traditional taxis are generally safer than rideshare services, many cities and towns do not offer typical taxi services. However, there are several smaller rideshare companies in certain US cities that focus on employing women drivers and increasing women’s passenger safety. Most of these services are localized to small areas since Uber and Lyft dominate the rideshare market, so it’s critical for those companies to increase their efforts to keep passengers and drivers safe. Some female-only rideshare apps include:
- Just Her Rideshare
- Shebah
- See Jane Go (now closed)
What To Do if a Rideshare Driver Made You Feel Unsafe
Hundreds of rideshare passengers are sexually assaulted, kidnapped, trafficked, or harmed in other ways by their drivers each year. If you or a loved one has experienced inappropriate behavior by an Uber or Lyft driver, you have legal rights and options for holding the responsible parties accountable. Helping Survivors can connect you with our partner law firms to evaluate your case and potentially file a civil lawsuit against the individuals and companies who caused you harm. Get legal help here today.
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