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Mobile-app-based transport service provider Uber has recently announced its partnership with UN Women that will see the firm hire up to one million female drivers by the end of this decade. According to a statement by Uber, the move is aimed at "accelerating economic opportunity for women."

"We intend to invest in long-term programs in local communities where we live and work, as Uber commits to creating 1,000,000 jobs for women globally on the Uber platform by 2020," said Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, executive director of UN Women, and Uber CEO, Travis Kalanick.

In the United States, the firm has stated that 14% of its 160,000 drivers are female, as Reuters understands. The firm has also claimed that it seeks to add thousands more drivers each month. While the move has been lauded by many, skeptics are more inclined to believe the move was more of PR-related rescue act.

Lately, the company has been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons with reported cases of drivers abusing passengers all over the world - from the United States to India. Most recently in Malaysia, a alleged harassment case was brought to light by a female client after she had received a personal text from an Uber driver following the end of a business transaction - more details here.