Kazakhstan is launching a pilot project to support women working as couriers through Yandex Go services. Participants facing difficult or crisis situations will be eligible for assistance, reports infohub.kz.
The corresponding memorandum was signed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, Yandex Qazaqstan, and the public foundation "Center for Support 'Isker'."
Women who have been completing orders through the "Yeda," Lavka, and "Dostavka" services for at least four consecutive weeks will be able to participate. Priority will be given to single and large families, women with disabilities, mothers of children with special needs, and those caring for seriously ill relatives.
Depending on the situation, couriers may receive legal, psychological, and humanitarian assistance. They will also be helped to navigate available state support measures and social services. In some cases, assistance in obtaining medical care is provided.
"In this case, we are talking about women who combine employment in the delivery sector with family responsibilities and may find themselves in a difficult life situation. It is important that in such circumstances a person knows where to turn and what help they can receive," said Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Askarbek Yertayev.
However, being a single or large family mother or belonging to another specified category does not mean that assistance will be provided automatically. Each application will be considered individually to determine what support is needed for a particular woman and her family.
Applications can be submitted through the "Yandex Pro" app — information is available in the "Main about cooperation" section in the article "Help for female couriers." Conditions can also be learned through the service's support team.
The project is being launched as a pilot. Based on its results, participants will assess how much such assistance is in demand and whether the program should be developed further.
Earlier, a photo of a woman delivering orders with a baby in her arms was discussed in the Kazakh segment of the internet. The image appeared on Threads and quickly spread across social media. The woman wore a courier backpack and held the child in front of her.
The story caused such a resonance that the situation was raised at a government briefing. Journalists asked Vice Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Victoria Shegay how the ministry views the fact that a woman is forced to work as a courier with a small child.