Uber’s New Feature Will Let Women Request Women Drivers, But These Rideshare Companies Championed Their Safety From The Start
A feature prioritizing women’s safety is launching by a major rideshare company, but there are already women entrepreneurs who have been paving the way.
Uber’s Latest Feature Promoting Women’s Safety
CBS News reports that Uber will roll out a “Women Preferences” feature in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit, which will allow women users to select women drivers for their rides.
This follows just over a year since Lyft also launched its Women + Connect feature, according to a press release.
In a statement, Uber confirms there was a demand from U.S. women riders and drivers who wanted to match with other women. The company had already rolled out the feature in 40 countries, fulfilling 100 trips.
It’s important to note that women riders also have the option to pre-book drivers, but should expect longer wait times, as only one in five Uber drivers are women.
“We would like to get this into as many cities as we can during this pilot phase,” said Camiel Irving, Uber VP of operations and general manager of U.S. and Canada, according to Oprah Daily. “It’s really about making sure that we’re able to give women certainty—that when they make this request or reservation, they’re going to be matched with a woman driver, and vice versa.”
HERide
Uber’s latest update is a favorable change for many women riders, reflecting a growing focus on safety and comfort, an area that Black women-owned rideshare companies have long been championing.
As AFROTECH™ previously told you, this includes HERide, co-founded by Jillian Anderson, a former rideshare worker that took it upon herself to launch the venture.
Anderson later linked up with DeVynne Starks (chief of marketing and communications) after recognizing hesitations from women passengers who were commonly riding with men through Uber and Lyft.
HERide — which is available in Atlanta and Athens, GA — has also logged more than 50,000 downloads and 26,000 active users, according to information shared on LinkedIn.
“When the biggest rideshare company in the world begins quietly rolling out features that HERide was founded on…You have to ask: why now,” Anderson wrote in a LinkedIn post.
The co-founder added, “Since 2019, HERide has been leading the charge. Thousands of safe trips. An airport-approved status. Fair wages for drivers. Care packages during onboarding. Seniors, moms, students, they’ve trusted HERide long before billion-dollar companies acknowledged the need for something safer. And now, they’re watching us. To be clear: HERide isn’t here to fight for attention, we’re here to set the tone.”
Just Her Rideshare
Anderson is not alone in its overall mission of promoting women’s safety from the start.
In May 2020, Kimberly Evans launched Just Her Rideshare, a Charlotte, NC-based company working to reshape the rideshare experience, per Axios.
Her call to action can be traced back to 1987, when a friend was abducted during a ride, the outlet reports.
Just Her Rideshare aims to ensure women riders can maintain a sense of trust and comfort during their rides, with features such as the ability to share their route with friends and family through real-time GPS.
As of May 2025, the company has over 2,000 drivers and operates in cities such as Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Durham, Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville. According to its Wefunder campaign, which has crossed over $32,000, the platform also has 10,000 riders registered and has logged 26% month-over-month revenue growth.
Evans has also shared sentiments on Uber’s latest announcement.
