Uber has recently expanded its “Women Preferences” feature to Charleston, South Carolina, enabling women riders to request female drivers and female drivers to opt for women riders. This rollout, announced on December 18, 2025, addresses safety concerns raised by riders and drivers alike. Matches are not guaranteed but increase chances when the preference is enabled.​
Feature Details
Women riders access a “Women Drivers” option for on-demand rides, advance reservations, or app settings toggles. Female drivers enable “Women Rider Preference” in the Uber Driver app to prioritize matching with women, including during peak times, and can toggle it off anytime. The feature extends to teen accounts, where teens or guardians can request women drivers.​​
User Feedback
Riders like Chloe Shepherd express fear when riding alone due to safety stories, while driver Leah Batiz notes parental concerns and prefers female or teen passengers for mutual comfort. Dane Adams, an openly gay man, supports the option for safer rides when intoxicated.[query] Uber reports 75% of women riders nationwide favor this matching option.​
Background and Expansion
Piloted in cities like Los Angeles and Detroit, the feature draws from global use since 2019 in Saudi Arabia, covering over 150 million trips in 40 countries. Part of a broader U.S. expansion to 29 cities, it aims to boost women drivers, who comprise about one in five nationwide.
