Vice-Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, Viktoriya Shegay, has commented on the story of a woman carrying a baby while working as a courier. The official stated that she has no information about the specific situation and considers issues related to the distribution of the family budget to be a matter of family relations.
WHAT SPARKED PUBLIC CONTROVERSY
Earlier, a photo of a woman with a baby in her arms and a delivery service bag on her back was circulated on Threads.
Internet users spent several days trying to find the woman in the photograph. It later emerged that the woman lives in Almaty and, according to her, was forced to work because the maternity payments she receives are not enough.
WHAT THE MINISTRY SAID IN RESPONSE
Commenting on the situation, Vice-Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, Viktoriya Shegay, stated that she cannot assess a specific case.
“Firstly, I do not know where this photo was taken, which specific city, or which woman is being referred to. Secondly, if we are talking about what a mother on maternity leave caring for a child should do, I think it is a matter of the family budget and a matter of family relationships,” she said.
After a journalist clarified that the woman lives in Almaty and explained the need to work due to insufficient maternity payments, Viktoriya Shegay stated that she had already given a comprehensive answer within the scope of her authority.
WHAT ELSE WAS SAID ABOUT SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES
Responding to a question about the possibility of introducing a maternity capital, Viktoriya Shegay stated that Kazakhstan has a range of support measures for young families.
According to her, the state provides support not only through cash payments, but also through subsidised mortgages for mothers with low incomes or those employed in certain sectors, as well as through other measures.