It’s no secret that women are under-represented in the ride-hailing industry and thus miss out on a flexible way to earn extra. That’s why we’re addressing the issue head-on and investing €2.5 million to encourage more women to become drivers. We explored the obstacles holding women back and created several incentives and safety features to tackle those concerns.

The road to equality

We’ve always encouraged more women to become drivers but realised that some roadblocks hinder our message. So, we set about learning about their challenges and preferences.

In 2022 we shifted our commitment into a higher gear and started conducting regular roundtable discussions with our women drivers worldwide.

After gathering insights from focus groups and individual interviews, we worked with our women drivers to develop thoughtful features and benefits to support them.

These incentives are now part of our ‘Women at the Wheel’ campaign and the €2.5 million pledge to tackle the gender gap in ride-hailing.

Why women are hesitant to become drivers

We wanted to validate the factors that prevent so many women from considering driving as a profession. So, in March 2023, we surveyed 2,000 women in Europe and Africa who have never been drivers.

After all, being a driver on a ride-hailing platform is a readily accessible way to make a living or earn additional income.

We found that only 7.2% of the women have considered driving as a way to make money.

Women hesitate to become drivers even in times of economic hardship. 89% of women reported their living costs had risen last year, and 93% admitted they’d sought ways to earn new income.

One of the main reasons why women don’t consider becoming a driver is that it’s still seen as a predominantly male profession. 25% said they had not looked into becoming a driver precisely because of their gender, and 15% weren’t confident enough to drive for a living.

Outdated stereotypes have kept many women from a great way to earn extra. Our ‘Women at the Wheel’ campaign plans to change that and provide a motivational push towards breaking these old beliefs.

Safety

Just under a quarter (23.3%) of the women we surveyed mentioned safety as a concern.

We assure everyone that safety continues to be our priority across the platform; for riders and drivers alike.

We’ve added several features to the in-app Safety Toolkit to make drivers feel safe and secure.

The driver trip-sharing feature allows drivers to share their locale in real-time with friends or family. Additionally, we routinely block customers who display inappropriate behaviour and consistently violate our Terms & Conditions.

We’re gradually rolling out the ‘Women for Women’ category that allows female drivers to drive female riders for extra safety and convenience.

How we’re supporting women drivers

We’re tackling these concerns by investing €2.5 million into several initiatives as a part of the ‘Women at the Wheel’ campaign.

We’re raising awareness through video interviews with our established female drivers, and we’ve partnered with local NGOs that campaign for women’s rights and advocate for female drivers.

We’ve developed new safety features and will subsidise licensing costs to make it easier for women to start driving.

Depending on the country, we offer further incentives like partnered courses for driving under challenging circumstances (e.g. dense traffic, bad weather, etc.), bonuses to jumpstart earnings, or the option to join a fleet for drivers lacking a personal car.

You can help by exploring and sharing what we’ve got to offer at ‘Women at the Wheel’.

Earn extra money driving

Being an independent driver has numerous benefits besides the additional incentives mentioned. For starters, our fast sign-up and onboarding will get you earning in no time.

We offer weekly payouts, the ability to make your schedule, and the option to earn extra during peak hours and with bonuses.

Driving with Bolt is financially risk-free — there are no hidden fees or minimum hours, and you only pay a commission on completed rides.

But don’t just take our word for it; follow the link below to hear inspiring stories from the women already leading the way.

Women at the Wheel

Sign up to start making money on your terms.

It’s time for women to take the wheel

Earn money driving

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