Breaking barriers

• You may have noticed that your Grab drivers and food delivery riders are often men. 
• The 500-backed superapp team is looking to change that, staying true to its mission to create economic empowerment for everyone in Southeast Asia. 
• It was reported that women aren’t less qualified, but they do not take up opportunities due to a lack of confidence in entering a male-dominated sector and worries about safety.
• To address these concerns, the company launched Grab’s Women Program, a series of long-term initiatives to support women in actively participating in Southeast Asia’s growing digital economy.
• One of the features being tested is ‘Women Passengers Preferred’, which increases the chance of female drivers being matched with female passengers. While 99.99% of Grab rides occur without incident, this feature will serve as an additional layer of safety.
• The team will also be ramping up efforts to support women in the onboarding and training process. Grab offers women-only onboarding sessions in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
• They also rolled out a regional anti-harassment guidebook and will offer self-defense training in Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
• In addition, the team will launch women-only online communities, such as chat groups, for them to connect and support one another in each country.
• In Vietnam, women drivers and delivery-partners get access to discounts on healthcare products and dental services. Grab is looking to provide more of these benefits to meet the needs of women on their platform.
• “We hope to open up new opportunities for women seeking economic independence and build a more diverse and inclusive Grab ecosystem,” shared Cheryl Goh, Founding CMO & Group VP of Marketing and Sustainability. “We look forward to a future where women drivers are a norm rather than an exception on our platform.”
• Read the full story on e27.