Affirmative action in Northern Ireland denotes proactive measures seeking to redress inequalities experienced by a particular group. The Equalities Review defines the goal of equality in a democratic society as: ‘An equal society [which] protects and promotes equal, real freedom and … removes the barriers that limit what people can do and can be.’ The backdrop to affirmative action in Northern Ireland (NI) was, "[t]hirty years of internal war [which] intensified already deeply etched fissures and suspicions" between the Roman Catholic and Protestant communities. The recognition of the dominance of the two populace lead to proactive measures in anti-discrimination legislation.