Uber just rolled out a feature that lets women riders and drivers match exclusively with each other across the entire country, and it’s already stirring up some serious debate. The ride-hailing giant launched the “Women Drivers” option nationwide on Monday after testing it in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Detroit last summer. But here’s the catch, the company is doing this while facing an active discrimination lawsuit from California drivers who claim the feature unfairly benefits women.

So what exactly can you do with this feature? If you’re a woman using Uber, you can request a female driver through the app, book a ride in advance with a woman driver, or set a preference in your settings that increases (but doesn’t guarantee) being matched with female drivers. Teens can request women drivers too. Female drivers have the same options and can choose to only accept rides from female passengers whenever they want, and turn it off anytime.

The reasoning behind this is pretty straightforward: safety. Both Uber and Lyft have faced thousands of sexual assault reports over the years from riders and drivers alike. Just last month, a federal jury found Uber legally responsible for a 2023 sexual assault case and ordered the company to pay $8.5 million to an Arizona woman. Despite arguing that its drivers are independent contractors and therefore not directly liable, Uber has tried to make improvements, including partnering with Lyft in 2021 to create a shared database of drivers kicked off for sexual assault and other crimes.

Melody Flores, a 41-year-old Uber driver in San Francisco who works overnight shifts so she can care for her 4-year-old daughter during the day, says the feature has been a game-changer. She used to deal with drunk male passengers making inappropriate comments, but now she mostly picks up women leaving late shifts at hospitals and restaurants. She’s noticed her business has picked up and feels way more comfortable driving into neighborhoods that previously made her nervous.

Not everyone’s convinced it’ll work as intended, though. Sergio Avedian, who drives for both Uber and Lyft, is skeptical about whether riders will actually wait longer for a female driver, especially during busy times. “For riders, it’s mostly about how fast can you get here and how much is it?” he said.

There’s also a notable gap in Uber’s approach compared to competitor Lyft. Unlike Lyft’s Women+Connect feature, Uber’s option isn’t available to nonbinary riders or drivers. Transgender women’s access depends on whether their state allows gender changes on driver’s licenses. Uber says it consulted with women’s safety and LGBTQ+ organizations before making this decision.

The company is banking on this feature attracting more female drivers to the platform, about one-fifth of current US drivers are women. They’ve even launched a media campaign featuring athletes like Alex Morgan and Jordan Chiles to promote it. Whether this becomes the safety game-changer Uber hopes for or just another feature riders ignore remains to be seen.