Female and non-binary Uber drivers are now able to refuse trips from male passengers in Australia under the launch of the new Women Rider Preference.
Western Weekender reports that the new feature will enable female and non-binary drivers to only accept rides from women, however, they can turn the preference on and off.
Director of Driver and Marketplace for Uber Australia Emma Foley said the new feature is intended to make female and non-binary drivers feel safe, especially when working in the evening.
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“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,” she said.
“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 adjustment to the popular app follows research commissioned by Uber, which surveyed 1,037 Australian women aged 18-60 years, who said they were exploring other money-making options to keep themselves afloat, according to SmartCompany.
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Research also revealed eight in ten women were considering new ways to earn money, while 74 per cent of surveyed women said they wanted to pick up a side hustle to better support themselves.
However, despite these findings, 83 per cent of women said they needed more flexibility to do this, and 88 per cent expressed there were barriers in the way, preventing them from starting a side job.
The research concluded that 70 per cent of women would like to see more female Uber drivers in the front seat.
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Foley also said the new move hopes to establish more of an equal gender representation of those working under the app while encouraging more women and non-binary people to apply as drivers.
Foley said: “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.”
Charisa Bossinakis