Ride share service Uber has announced the launch of Women Rider Preference, a new feature designed to improve earning potential and opportunities for women and non-binary individuals on its platform.
Launched in response to feedback from driver-partners, Women Rider Preference is a new in-app feature offering women and non-binary driver-partners an opportunity to indicate a preference for accepting women rider only trip requests.
Uber claims that in Latin America, this feature contributed to 15 million trips, and a 40 per cent increase in active female driver-partners in Mexico, since its launch in November 2020.
Accessible via the Uber Driver app, Women Rider Preference allows women and non-binary driver-partners to indicate a preference for picking up women riders. Driver-partners who identify as women or non-binary will automatically gain access to the feature and can turn it on or off whenever they choose, giving them more confidence to choose to drive during optimum earning hours, such as in the evening.
“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,” said Emma Foley, Director of Driver and Marketplace, for Uber Australia.
“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.”
The launch comes as a research survey of 1,037 Australian women aged 18-60 years, commissioned by Uber, reveals an overwhelming number of women are exploring new money-making opportunities. Eight in 10 (82 per cent) said they are 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 compliments their day jobs. For those who work, 75 per cent are interested in exploring new opportunities that allow them to be their own boss.
“The Uber platform should reflect the diversity of the communities we operate in, including equitable gender representation among the driver-partner base. 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,” Ms Foley said.
