Breastfeeding is the single, most cost-effective intervention to reduce worldwide child mortality. Women empowerment interventions have positive impacts on child and maternal nutritional & health status. Women's employment and economic participation in Ethiopia have shown progress over the past three decades. However, shreds of empirical evidence showed that maternal employment is often negatively associated with optimal breastfeeding in Ethiopia. The existence and enforcement of breastfeeding law, arrangement, and support in the workplace have vital roles in protecting employed mothers' ability and right to breastfeed upon return to work from maternity leave. Therefore, this article reviewed the breastfeeding laws, policies, and arrangements in Ethiopia with international standards, recommendations, and evidence-based practices.

Public legislations in Ethiopia poorly protect the breastfeeding right of most new mothers. Ethiopian revised Labor Proclamation No.1156/2019 incorporates most of the International Labour Organization maternity protection recommendation. However, it poorly safeguards breastfeeding rights and abilities of employed women. The provided maternity leave period is also shorter than the recommended exclusive breastfeeding duration. So far, there are no workplace breastfeeding arrangements and support for employed mothers by employers and other initiatives.

The lack of workplace breastfeeding laws, arrangements, and supports in Ethiopia limits mothers' right to practice optimal breastfeeding. Policymakers, the government, and all concerned bodies should give due attention to enacting and enforcing sound laws and arrangements that will enable employed mothers to practice optimal breastfeeding upon return to work. Future researchers could focus on assessing the consequences of the problem and contextualizing and piloting different interventions.