November is Women Abuse Prevention Month and Uber Canada is launching a new set of features, policy and partnerships as part of its global commitment to help stop sexual assault and gender-based violence on the platform and promote safety, empowerment, and anti-discrimination for its community of drivers and riders.

To create a more accessible and flexible way for drivers and riders to report safety incidents, Uber Canada is rolling out its 24/7 Critical Safety Line. Built into the app for quick access, this non-emergency phone channel is another option for users to contact Uber directly with any safety-related questions or assistance—once all parties are removed from harm’s way and any necessary authorities have been contacted.

Uber Canada’s approach is about promoting human rights and stopping sexual assault or gender-based violence incidents before they start. As of October, Uber Canada has been implementing sexual assault and misconduct education information modules for active drivers in Canada. In partnership with the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), Uber has developed six video modules that focus on privacy and personal space, conversational boundaries, sexual violence awareness and bystander intervention.

With the help of RAINN, Uber Canada is providing resources and strategies that promote safety while reinforcing the behaviour expected and outlined in Uber’s Community Guidelines. Canadian drivers will be able to complete the modules within the next six months.

In a commitment to support survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, Uber Canada is providing over $100,000 in free rides to non-profit organizations across the country including the YWCA and the Ending Violence Association of BC.

Tracy Porteous, Executive Director of Ending Violence Association of BC
“We are deeply grateful for this latest financial support from Uber.  This additional support will make a huge difference in the lives of victims and survivors who will face increased challenges in the next few winter months under the pandemic.  We also applaud Uber’s continued commitment to public education around gender-based violence. Its new mandatory videos for drivers on sexual assault and inappropriate behaviour, combined with the company’s community guidelines, reinforce zero tolerance for any misconduct on the part of both drivers and passengers.” 


Brittany Anthony, Head of Global Women’s Safety Policy at Uber
“At Uber, we’ve raised the bar on safety for the industry by following through on our commitments. In partnership with RAINN we’re rolling out comprehensive, safety information for our drivers. This is another step in our work to help improve safety including pioneering new safety features, strengthening our background checks and being honest about the hard issues.”

This is part of Uber Canada’s broader commitment to raise the bar on safety within the Uber community and beyond. 

  • Earlier this year, Uber launched the Emergency Assistance feature, providing riders and drivers with immediate assistance in urgent circumstances by calling 911 directly from the Uber app and sharing their GPS location and trip details with authorities.
  • Uber also rolled out Trusted Contacts, letting riders easily share their trips with friends and loved ones for additional piece of mind.
  • The release of the Uber Safety Report outlines safety progress, processes, and data that sheds light on the most serious safety incidents occurring on the Uber platform. Uber is working closely with experts to ensure the report reflects the highest levels of accuracy, reliability, and consistency and looking at ways to leverage learnings from the report to guide the way Uber thinks about safety on the platform.