After a successful test launch in several states, Uber today launched a nationwide feature allowing women riders and drivers across the U.S. to be matched with other women for trips, expanding a pilot program aimed at enhancing safety on the platform. This new option finally allows women to fulfill the Rebbe’s directive from 5751.

On Shabbos Parshas Noach 5751, the Rebbe spoke about how changes in women’s roles brought new challenges. The Rebbe noted that traveling by taxi with a male driver could present concerns of yichud and tznius, and advised women to request a female driver to address these issues.

Since the advent of ride-hailing platforms, no such option had been available – until now.

As previously reported on Anash.org, the new feature allows women riders to increase their chances of being paired with women drivers by setting a preference in the app. They can request rides on demand via the new Women Drivers option or schedule trips in advance through Uber Reserve. While matches are not guaranteed, Uber says these preferences significantly increase the likelihood of women being paired together.

Women drivers can also toggle a Women Rider Preference to prioritize trip requests from female passengers, even during peak hours. According to Uber, this gives women drivers “more opportunities to earn on their terms with flexibility and confidence.”

“This is about providing women with more control, more comfort, and more choice as they use the platform,” said Camiel Irving, Uber’s head of operations for the U.S. and Canada.

This comes despite ongoing class-action lawsuits in California, where drivers argue Uber’s Women Preferences feature violates the Unruh Act by giving female drivers access to more passengers and reinforcing gender stereotypes, and similar lawsuits against Lyft over its Women+Connect feature, with both companies facing legal challenges over alleged discrimination.

The new feature follows years of feedback from women in the U.S. requesting greater control over how they ride and drive. A similar option was first introduced in Saudi Arabia in 2019 and has since expanded to 40 countries, completing over 100 million trips. Uber refined the tool through testing in France, Germany, and Argentina, and plans to continue improving the experience through education, partnerships, and new features.