6 March 2024, Singapore – In line with the “Inspire Inclusion” theme of International Women’s Day this year, Grab today announced the launch of its Women Programme that aims to lower the barriers to entry for women looking to access income opportunities on its platform. The new initiatives, announced at Grab’s Women Partner Appreciation Event held on 6 March, include a Women Passengers Preferred (BETA) feature that prioritises matches between women drivers and passengers, as well as women-only community groups, mentorship and training programmes.

The Singapore programme is part of Grab’s regional efforts to enable greater inclusion of women within its driver- and delivery-partner community, and is in line with Grab’s mission of creating economic opportunities for everyone in Southeast Asia. 

“Our partner community is still very much male dominated, and we recognise that we need to do more to increase women participation on our platform. Our new Women Programme aims to empower women to take up platform work by addressing their unique concerns around safety and dispelling the notion that driving is not suitable for them. By leveraging our technology and tapping into our existing women partner community, we hope women partners will feel better supported and confident enough to join us,” said Yee Wee Tang, Managing Director for Grab Singapore.

Pairing Grab’s women driver-partners and passengers

Exclusive to women driver-partners only, Grab is now testing a new “Women Passengers Preferred BETA” feature. The feature enables women partners to indicate their preference for women passengers. When the feature is toggled on, it increases the chances of matching a woman driver-partner with a woman passenger, if there is a woman passenger in the vicinity. 

The toggle offers an additional layer of safety on the platform, while providing options for women partners and users who would feel more comfortable driving or taking a ride with a fellow female.

Image: Toggle switch to turn on “Women Passengers Preferred” feature on Grab drivers’ application (for women driver-partners only)

Overcoming barriers with dedicated training programmes and community activities for women

Based on surveys and discussions done with Grab’s existing women driver and delivery-partners, it was found that women are usually deterred from joining the platform due to safety concerns and the mindset that driving and deliveries are not suitable for them. 

Common considerations that stop them from taking the first step include the need to manage different types of consumers, having the right digital know-how to use the driver app effectively, or the ability to manage unforeseen situations such as vehicle breakdowns. 

To support women to overcome these barriers, the Women Programme will feature the following initiatives aimed at equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive on the Grab platform: 

• New Women-Only Online Community and Info Sessions: As driver- and delivery- partners are usually on-the-road, Grab will set up online communities to enable new and existing women partners to connect, share and support one another. Grab will also host physical info-sharing sessions on a monthly basis to update women driver- and delivery-partners on the latest Grab developments. 
• New Safety and Confidence Training Sessions: To help women drivers feel safer on the road, Grab will launch a training module this month to equip driver- and delivery- partners with skills to handle challenging scenarios as well as learn how to leverage Grab’s safety features effectively. 
• Expansion of Women Co-pilot Programme: Grab will expand its existing Co-pilot programme such that more new women driver-partners are paired with experienced Grab women driver-partners to be guided on the onboarding process and the ins and outs of driving with Grab. This includes helping new driver-partners to be familiarised with the Grab driver-app, sharing tips on navigating tricky situations while on the road and capturing peak demand. 

Peggy Tan, who has been driving for eight years and a current Grab Captain, shared that being a Captain is a way of returning back to the community, “We have all been newbies, so the programme is helpful for more experienced drivers like myself to share the ways of driving to other newcomers who might find it difficult to reach any form of support, especially after office hours.”

• Tailored Welfare Benefits and Perks: Grab will also be looking at improving women driver- and delivery- partners with benefits that are tailored to their needs, such as healthcare checks. 

Expanding income streams for women 

To help further unlock women partners’ career potential, Grab has partnered with the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) on a project to expand women drivers’ income streams. Participating women drivers will be matched to a Career Experience Designer who will identify relevant short gigs for women drivers to pursue based on the skills they have gained from platform work, as well as other skills they have from their own life experiences. This allows them to diversify their income further and build better resiliency.

To raise awareness for the programme, Grab has also launched its #WomenWelcome campaign in conjunction with International Women’s Day. Part of this includes a brand thematic film that acknowledges the invisible hurdles that prevent women from driving for a living, and how Grab is working towards making driving more suitable for women. Find out more about the #WomenWelcome campaign here.

To learn more about Grab’s Women Programme in the region, visit here.