 affirmative action or positive discrimination (known as employment equity in canada, reservation in india and nepal, and positive action in the uk) is the policy of favoring members of a disadvantaged group who are perceived to suffer from discrimination within a culture. the nature of positive discrimination policies varies from region to region. some countries, such as india, use a quota system, whereby a certain percentage of jobs or school vacancies must be set aside for members of a certain group. in some other regions, specific quotas do not exist; instead, members of minorities are given preference in selection processes. ==origins== the term "affirmative action" was first used in the united states in executive order 10925 and was signed by president john f. kennedy on 6 march 1961. it was used to promote actions that achieve non-discrimination. in 1965, president lyndon b. johnson issued executive order 11246 which required government employers to take "affirmative action" to "hire without regard to race, religion and national origin". in 1967, sex was added to the anti-discrimination list. ==purpose== affirmative action is intended to promote the opportunities of defined minority groups within 
Affirmative_action Discrimination Education_issues Education_policy History_of_education Majorityaminority_relations Politics_and_race Prejudice_and_discrimination Race-related_legal_issues Social_inequality