Shortly after giving birth, many employed women return to the workplace while still in the process of breastfeeding.  The Surgeon General and National Institutes of Health have called for a more supportive work environment that arranges accommodations for mothers returning after leave.  The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, provides a section that addresses breastfeeding mothers in the workplace in the Fair Labor Standards Act.  Before the passage in 2010, 26 states did not have breastfeeding protection laws.  The Gender Policy Report of the University of Minnesota analyzed the federal policy on the protections given in the ACA and how it has impacted women and families in the workplace.

The Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy leads the Gender Policy Report as part of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.  The goal of the Gender Policy Report is to analyze gender impacts of federal policies using an interdisciplinary and nonpartisan approach.  The research areas include various subject such as Education, Health, and Violence.