Job opportunities for women are often issues across the globe, especially in the Middle East where women’s rights are usually set aside.
While women in the workforce in this region are in the labor force in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, the public, and the like, Think Global Health are saying, interestingly, that in 2022, the World Bank reported that Middle Eastern women just made up of 19 percent of the labor force, a meager percentage.
“One of the lowest percentages in the world,” the website stated.
Plus, the rates by country there are:
- 15 percent in Egypt
- 11 percent in Iraq
- 15 percent in Jordan
- 48 percent in Kuwait
- 29 percent in Lebanon
- 21 percent in Morocco
- 60 percent in Qatar
- 26 percent in Tunisia
- 55 percent in the United Arab Emirates
- 28 percent in Saudi Arabia
That’s still a small percentage for the women in Saudi Arabia, so Uber has taken the initiative.
The world’s top ridesharing app has launched a new feature that allows riders to specifically book a female driver, which, experts say is a “small product tweak,” but resonates significantly in the region that’s know heavily for conservatism.
The feature is known “Women Drivers,” announced today, designed to give women passengers more peace of mind, since they are matched with women drivers as well. This feature also covers the UberX service.
This move is also to push for women’s freedoms and rights in the region, such as in December 2019 when restaurants were banned to establish separate entrances for men and women, which is referred to as gender segregation.
Also, in 2018, the year started when women were given the right to drive in Saudi Arabia, and so with Uber. But there was no separate category from which passengers could choose the gender of their drivers.
“The ‘Women Drivers’ product allows women riders to book rides exclusively with women drivers via the Uber app, expanding economic opportunities for Saudi women while enhancing rider choice,” Uber told Ridesharing Forum.
Wish to read more fresh ridesharing and food delivery news? Sign up for your account on this forum today to join the discussions.