On March 22, 1900, Anne Rainsford French became the first woman in America to get a driver’s license: it was a Steam Engineer’s License (Automobile Class). Over 100 years later the number of women with licenses surpassed men for the first time. And the ability to get around independently has helped empower women all around the world.

Today that freedom is helping (literally) drive another wave of women’s empowerment: the opportunity to fit work around life, rather than the other way around. Around 20 million Americans work fewer hours than they would like for “non-economic reasons,” according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These include personal commitments, in particular child care, that can make full-time jobs so difficult. 

It’s one of the reasons Uber last year announced a commitment to get one 1 million women drivers using our app by 2020. Because driving a car isn’t just a way to get to work—it can be the work. For women around the world, Uber offers something unique: work on demand, whenever you want it. Drivers can make money on their own terms and set their own schedules.

According to a recent survey, at the end of last year 19 percent of drivers using the Uber app in the U.S. were women, compared to 14 percent a year ago. And last month, 21 percent of our active uberX driver-partners in the U.S. were women. In New Orleans, this percentage is even greater – active female partner-drivers make up 35% of drivers using the Uber app in New Orleans. 

This month, we want to highlight the New Orleans female driver-partners that help move New Orleans. In honor of International Women’s Day, we hosted a Partner Appreciation Event at the People’s Health New Orleans Jazz Market to celebrate New Orleans’ amazing female partners and their communities.

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New Orleans Women’s Partner Appreciation Event

Here in New Orleans, women are driving with Uber to for a variety of reasons. From driver-partner KB, who drives with Uber as a way to earn extra income in her spare time to Keisha, who loves the flexibility to work around her busy class schedule, we want to thank the women who help hundreds of thousands of riders get from A to B every day.

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 Among the hundreds of partners in attendance at the celebration, we were fortunate to be joined by Regional Manager of Trust and Safety at Uber, Amanda DeSantis who spoke about Uber’s efforts to become the safest ride on the road.

Regional Manager of Trust and Safety at Uber, Amanda DeSantis
“We are deeply committed to the safety of our partners. We focus on safety before, during and after every trip, from knowing the riders you are picking up, to a cashless transaction, to a transparent and accountable feedback feature.”

Stay tuned this month as we continue to highlight and celebrate the stories of women driver-partners in New Orleans who are choosing to drive with Uber.

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