Doing Our Part to Eliminate Gender-Based Violence
Written byOver the past several years, Uber has partnered with leading organizations around the world to help prevent gender-based violence. Through this work, we’ve learned a great deal from experts who work tirelessly each and every day to help survivors all over the world.
The statistics are staggering. The United Nations reports that 1 in 3 women and girls experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. Even more concerning is that amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic violence has intensified.
We also know that every form of transportation as well as platforms bringing people together in the real world are affected by these issues, and Uber is not immune.
That’s why we’ve launched multiple new safety features, strengthened our background checks, improved our policies, and raised the bar on transparency with our first-of-its-kind US Safety Report. And in April, we partnered with domestic violence organizations and local governments around the world to provide more than 50,000 free rides to shelters and safe spaces, and more than 45,000 free meals.
We know it’s important to do our part to improve safety in the communities where we operate. So to mark the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and kick off “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence,” Uber is launching new programs and partnerships around the world aimed at preventing sexual violence.
Australia & New Zealand
- Expanding free rides program with WESNET, the Australian body for specialist women’s domestic and family violence services, to help support shelters, women’s refuges, safe houses and referral services, that are helping women rebuild their lives.
- Continuing to drive discussions for change through Uber’s ANZ Women’s Safety Forum.
Canada
- Deploying mandatory safety education to drivers in Canada.
- Launching a 24/7 Critical Safety Line to provide another option for users to contact Uber directly with safety-related questions or assistance.
- Providing thousands of free rides to non-profit organizations across the country including the YWCA Canada and the Ending Violence Association of BC to support survivors of domestic and gender-based violence.
Europe
- Launching a social and in-app campaign in the UK signposting users to the UK SAYS NO MORE educational resources, and encouraging people to take action.
- Partnering with JUMP in Belgium and rolling out sexual misconduct education to drivers in Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Poland.
- Announcing the signature of the ‘Charter for Women Safety’ in France co-written with the Ministry of Transportation and Ministry for Gender Equality by all PHV platforms.
India:
- Partnering with Breakthrough to initiate a study exploring the issue of bystander intervention to prevent or stop violence against women which will inform future safety education initiatives.
- Amplifying case studies of bystander intervention through webinars, tweetchats and video stories on social media.
Latin America
- Launching driver education podcasts on gender-based violence and discrimination developed by ACTO in Mexico, Aequales in Colombia, INTEC in Dominican Republic, Efecto Boomerang in Costa Rica and Guatemala, and Promundo Institute in Brazil.
- Providing thousands of rides and meals for survivors of domestic violence and workers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico in partnership with Ministry of Women, Genders and Diversity of Argentina, Avon Institute, Fundación Antonia, Fundación Juanfe, Fundación Sobrevivientes, and the National Shelter Network.
- Deploying sensitivity training for customer support agents in Brazil in collaboration with deFEMde, and with Efecto Boomerang in Costa Rica.
- Partnering with Igarapé Institute in Brazil, Colombia and Mexico to create and update a platform with data about violence against women: EVA.
- Conducting a survey in Brazil about women empowerment and how this relates to their safety in partnership with Patrícia Galvão Institute.
- Launching a manual to educate law enforcement on how to handle gender-based violence in partnership with the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety.
Middle East
- Expanding partnerships with the KASHF Foundation in Pakistan and HarassMap in Egypt to help educate Uber users violence prevention.
South Africa
- Expanding our partnership with NISAA to launch mandatory safety education for drivers aimed at fostering respectful interactions. Riders will also be sent education through the app.
United States
- Launching the next phase of our #DontStandBy Bystander Awareness Campaign in partnership with NO MORE, with new content and resources available to help nightlife staff, drivers, and riders prevent sexual violence before it starts.
- Partnering with RAINN, the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the US, to deploy mandatory safety education to drivers in the US.
In 2017, we announced Driving Change – our commitment to help prevent gender-based violence. We also made important changes within Uber and committed five million dollars to fund sexual violence prevention programs. Since then, we have expanded this effort by building partnerships with courageous and thought-leading organizations around the world to leverage our scale and platform to help drive awareness and societal change.
Safety should never be proprietary. We all have a role to play in helping end gender-based violence.
To learn more, you can visit uber.com/safety/womens-safety.