Uber is rolling out a new feature letting women choose female drivers or riders first. Starting next month in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit, this “Women Preferences” option aims to boost safety. The company says women told them they want control over who they ride with. A pilot program tested in countries like Germany and Saudi Arabia inspired this policy.

Uber claims this gives women “more choice and comfort.” Female drivers can also opt to only pick up women, especially late at nights. But critics call it risky. Separating transportation by gender might send the wrong message about male Americans being untrustworthy.

This isn’t the first time Uber tackled safety. After its Saudi experiment, they’re expanding the idea here. The app lets users switch preferences anytime. But what happens when few women drivers are available? That’s still unclear.

Conservative voices worry about unintended consequences. Treating men as potential dangers creates two-tier systems. Where does this end – segregated public spaces? True safety comes from punishing bad actors, not singling out entire gender groups.

Some women admit using decoy addresses for pickup to avoid stalkers. This new feature might reduce such insecure workarounds. Yet others fear it normalizes fear rather than empowering women to stand up for themselves.

Lyft tried a similar opt-in for women and nonbinary riders last year. Uber’s move follows. Supporters argue it’s a tool, not a mandate. But critics warn it could fuel discrimination lawsuits if men get excluded unfairly.

Uber admits male drivers outnumber women, making matches not always possible. The feature prioritizes, doesn’t guarantee, female pairings. It’s a Band-Aid solution for deeper societal issues we ignore at our peril.

This dangerous precedent panders to fear instead of building real trust. America needs policies that lift women up, not isolate them. Protecting rights through division isn’t progress – it’s admitting defeat.