Breastfeeding is the single, most cost-effective intervention to reduce worldwide child mortality. Women empowerment interventions have positive impacts on child and maternal nutritional, and health status. Women’s employment and economic participation in Ethiopia have shown progress over the past three decades. However, consistent evidence indicated 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. This commentary compared the breastfeeding laws, policies, and arrangements in Ethiopia with international standards, recommendations, and evidence-based practices. Public legislations of 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 recommendations. 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. The revised Federal Civil Servant Proclamation of Ethiopia (NO.1064/2017) mandates the establishment of a nursery in government institutions where female civil servants could breastfeed and take care of their babies in a private room. Though, it protects only a small proportion of working mothers in Ethiopia, as majority women employed in the agriculture and informal economy sectors. So far, there are no notable workplace breastfeeding arrangements and support for employed mothers by employers and other initiatives. The ILO recommendation and experience of other middle income and low-income countries can be legal and practical grounds for establishment of breastfeeding-friendly workplace in Ethiopia. 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.

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埃塞俄比亚的母乳喂养和就业母亲：法律保护、安排和支持

母乳喂养是降低全球儿童死亡率的唯一、最具成本效益的干预措施。妇女赋权干预措施对儿童和孕产妇的营养和健康状况产生积极影响。在过去的三十年里，埃塞俄比亚妇女的就业和经济参与取得了进展。然而，一致的证据表明，在埃塞俄比亚，孕产妇就业往往与最佳母乳喂养呈负相关。母乳喂养法律、安排和工作场所支持的存在和执行对于保护受雇母亲在休完产假重返工作岗位后进行母乳喂养的能力和权利具有重要作用。该评论将埃塞俄比亚的母乳喂养法律、政策和安排与国际标准、建议和循证实践进行了比较。埃塞俄比亚的公共立法没有很好地保护大多数新妈妈的母乳喂养权利。埃塞俄比亚修订后的劳工公告（No.1156/2019）纳入了国际劳工组织的大部分生育保护建议。然而，它未能很好地保障就业妇女的母乳喂养权利和能力。提供的产假时间也比建议的纯母乳喂养时间短。修订后的埃塞俄比亚联邦公务员公告（第 1064/2017 号）要求在政府机构设立托儿所，女公务员可以在该处哺乳和照顾婴儿。尽管如此，它仅保护埃塞俄比亚的一小部分职业母亲，因为大多数妇女受雇于农业和非正规经济部门。迄今为止，没有显着的工作场所母乳喂养安排和雇主和其他举措对受雇母亲的支持。国际劳工组织的建议和其他中等收入和低收入国家的经验可以成为在埃塞俄比亚建立母乳喂养友好工作场所的法律和实际依据。埃塞俄比亚缺乏工作场所母乳喂养的法律、安排和支持，限制了母亲进行最佳母乳喂养的权利。政策制定者、政府和所有相关机构应适当注意制定和执行健全的法律和安排，使受雇母亲在重返工作岗位后能够进行最佳母乳喂养。国际劳工组织的建议和其他中等收入和低收入国家的经验可以作为在埃塞俄比亚建立母乳喂养友好工作场所的法律和实际依据。埃塞俄比亚缺乏工作场所母乳喂养的法律、安排和支持，限制了母亲进行最佳母乳喂养的权利。政策制定者、政府和所有相关机构应适当注意制定和执行健全的法律和安排，使受雇母亲在重返工作岗位后能够进行最佳母乳喂养。国际劳工组织的建议和其他中等收入和低收入国家的经验可以成为在埃塞俄比亚建立母乳喂养友好工作场所的法律和实际依据。埃塞俄比亚缺乏工作场所母乳喂养的法律、安排和支持，限制了母亲进行最佳母乳喂养的权利。政策制定者、政府和所有相关机构应适当注意制定和执行健全的法律和安排，使受雇母亲在重返工作岗位后能够进行最佳母乳喂养。