The feature gives Lyft drivers the option to activate a preference in the app that will prioritize matches with other nearby women and non-binary users. However, it’s not a guarantee, and if there are no passengers matching that description nearby, drivers will still be matched with men.
On the passenger side, women and non-binary passengers will see an option to “count me in” in their Lyft app. Choosing this will “increase your chances of matching with women and non-binary drivers,” according to this Lyft blog post. It is unclear how people can identify themselves in the app in order to select this feature. We reached out to Lyft for clarification.
Lyft says this has been a highly requested feature to give women and non-binary people more control over the driving and riding experience. The company hopes to encourage more women to take on the role of Lyft driver, which Lyft says pays about $36 per hour (on average, including tips and bonuses). Currently, demographics represent less than a quarter of Lyft driverswhich is comparable to the rest of the ridesharing industry, according to a Gridwise report.
Their competitor Uber has a similar feature for their women and non-binary drivers called Preference of female cyclistslaunched in 2022.
Lyft’s program will initially launch in Chicago, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose, and the company says it hopes to roll it out to more cities soon. You can sign up to receive a notification when it arrives in your city at lyft.com/women+.
