Affirmative action

Affirmative action is a group of policies and practices used by governments and organizations to address unfair treatment that some groups have faced for a long time. The main goal is to help make things more fair by giving more chances to people who have been left out, especially in jobs, pay, and education. It also aims to create a more diversity of people and make sure everyone feels included and treated equally, which is called social equity and social inclusion.

How these policies work can be different in each place. Some countries use a quota system, which means they save a certain number of jobs, school spots, or political positions for certain groups. For example, India has a system called reservations. In other places, like the United States, schools and jobs might give special attention to people from minority groups when choosing who to accept or hire.

Even though many people support affirmative action because it helps make things more fair for groups that have faced unfair treatment, others disagree. Some think it is unfair to others or that it might put students in classes that are too hard for them. Overall, it remains a topic that many people have strong feelings about.

Origins

The term "affirmative action" started in the United States with Executive Order 10925, signed by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. This order asked government workers to make sure people were hired and treated fairly, no matter their race, beliefs, or where they came from. Later, in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued another order, Executive Order 11246, which asked government employers to hire people without considering their race, religion, or background and to make sure everyone was treated equally.

Affirmative action aims to help certain groups have the same chances as everyone else. It tries to fix past unfairness, stop current unfairness, and make society more varied and fair. It is often used in schools and government jobs to make sure everyone has equal opportunities.

Methods of implementation

Affirmative action uses different methods to help make things fairer. These can include special scholarships or financial help for certain groups, advertising to groups the action is meant to help, special training for certain people, and sometimes making rules a little easier for some groups.

Quotas

Quotas are rules that say a certain number of spots must go to people from specific groups. For example, some places set rules about how many people of different races or genders should be in jobs or schools. These rules differ a lot between countries. Some rules aim to help groups that don’t have many chances, while others have been seen as unfair.

In 2012, the European Union agreed that by 2020, women should make up 40% of leaders in big companies. Later rules require that by 2026, underrepresented genders should hold at least 40% of leadership roles in big companies.

In Sweden, the highest court decided that setting quotas based on ethnicity in universities is not allowed because it treats people unfairly. The justice minister said this decision was very clear.

By gender

Studies have looked at how affirmative action helps women get better jobs. Research from 1973 to 2003 shows that during the 1970s and early 1980s, women, especially black, Hispanic, and white women, were able to move into management, professional, and technical jobs more quickly because of affirmative action. This helped them get better positions compared to before. However, this positive effect lessened in the late 1980s, possibly because of changes in policies.

Affirmative action has also been studied in places like Asia, where researchers looked at why people support these programs for women. They found that affirmative action helps fix unfair treatment and gives women fair chances for the future. Sometimes, affirmative action can also help men in areas where they are underrepresented, like in nursing, by addressing discrimination against men.

By country

In some countries that have laws on racial equality, affirmative action is not allowed because it does not treat all races the same. This idea of treating everyone equally is sometimes called "being color blind," with the hope that it helps stop unfair treatment without using different rules for different groups.

In these countries, the focus is on making sure everyone has the same chances. For example, they might run ads to encourage people from different backgrounds to join the police force. This is sometimes called "positive action."

Africa

South Africa

Between 1948 and 1974, the government of South Africa used rules that treated people unfairly based on their race. People were sorted into groups, with white people at the top and black Africans at the bottom. This made it hard for black people to get good jobs. After these unfair rules ended, new laws were made to help correct these mistakes.

The government chose to make laws to help correct these mistakes, following rules from an international group. Because of these laws, companies had to hire people from groups that had been treated unfairly before, like black people, Indians, Coloureds, women, and disabled people.

Many people support these laws, saying they help grow the economy and give everyone a fair chance. But others think they are not fair, cost too much, and might not help the poorest people.

Ghana

In July 2024, Ghana passed a law to help more women get into politics. The law sets goals for women to make up 30% of leaders by 2026, 35% by 2028, and 50% by 2030. This was the first time such a law was in place for an election in Ghana.

Asia

China

In China, there are special rules to help students from minority groups get into university. Sometimes, these students do not need to meet the same test scores as others.

Israel

In Israel, some of the most popular universities have rules to help students who come from places where it is harder to get good education. These rules help make sure students from different backgrounds can go to these universities.

India

In India, there are special rules to help people from certain groups, like Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, get jobs and go to school. These groups make up most of the country’s people. The government sets aside a certain number of spots for these groups in schools and jobs.

Indonesia

Indonesia has special rules to help people from Papua get into school and get jobs in the government. After protests in 2019, some students chose not to use these special chances. There have been questions about whether these rules work well and if there is enough support for these students.

Malaysia

Malaysia has rules to help people known as Bumiputera, which includes Malays and some other groups, because in the past they earned less money than Chinese and Indian people. These rules were started after some serious problems in 1969 and are still used today. Some people think these rules help, but others think they cause problems.

Taiwan

In Taiwan, companies with more than 100 workers must have at least 1% of their workers be Taiwanese aborigines if they want to win government contracts. Also, students who know about their tribal language and culture can get extra points on their school entrance exams.

Europe

Denmark

People from Greenland can get into university in Denmark more easily if they meet certain rules, like living in Greenland for a certain amount of time.

Finland

In some university programs in Finland, like law and medicine, students who know the Swedish language can get special rules to help them get into these programs.

France

In France, schools in certain areas get more money to help students there. These students also get special help in some other schools.

After 2014, women needed to make up at least 20% of leaders in big companies. By 2017, this went up to 40%. Companies could face penalties if they did not follow these rules.

Germany

In Germany, laws say everyone should be treated equally. There are rules to help make sure women and disabled people get fair chances for jobs. There has been discussion about whether to make special rules to help children from poorer backgrounds get into special schools.

Norway

Big companies in Norway must have at least 40% of their leaders be women. This rule has helped increase the number of women leaders.

Romania

In Romania, the Roma people can get special help to get into public schools and universities.

Soviet Union and Russia

After the revolution in 1918, rules were made to help different groups, like women and ethnic minorities, get better chances in school and jobs. Russia still has some of these special rules today.

Serbia

Serbia’s laws allow special help for groups like national minorities, such as the Roma people, to help them get into school more easily.

Slovakia

In 2005, Slovakia’s highest court said that special rules to help ethnic or race groups were not allowed under their laws.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, it is not allowed to hire someone just because they are from a certain group if they are not the best person for the job. However, sometimes, if two people are equally good, a person from a group that needs more help can be chosen.

North America

Canada

Canada’s laws allow special rules to help groups that have had a hard time in the past, like women, people with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, and visible minorities. Some schools and jobs have special rules to help these groups.

United States

In the United States, special rules to help fair treatment started in the early 1960s to fight unfair treatment based on race. These rules were later expanded to include unfair treatment based on gender. Courts have often had to decide if these rules are fair.

Some states have banned these special rules in their schools. In 2023, the highest court in the United States said that using race as a reason to decide who gets into college is not allowed.

Oceania

New Zealand

In New Zealand, people of Māori or other Polynesian descent can get special help to get into university or win scholarships. There have been discussions about whether these rules are fair.

South America

Brazil

Some universities and government jobs in Brazil have special rules to help racial minorities, poor people, and people with disabilities get a chance to join. In 2012, the highest court in Brazil said these rules were allowed.

International organizations

United Nations

The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination says that countries that agree to this rule may need to create special programs to fix long-term unfair treatment. But it also says these programs should not keep unfair rules for different groups after they are no longer needed.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee explains that sometimes, to make things fair, a country might need to take extra steps to help groups that have been treated badly. This could mean giving some groups special help for a while to fix past problems. But this help should only continue as long as it is needed to make things fair.

Responses

Proponents of affirmative action say it aims to promote societal equality by helping people who face disadvantages, often due to historical reasons like oppression or slavery. Supporters believe it can help close gaps in jobs and pay, make education more accessible, and bring more diverse voices to leadership roles. They also think it can correct past wrongs and address imbalances left from difficult times in history.

Critics argue that affirmative action might create new problems, suggesting it could hurt efforts to bring people together or make some feel their achievements are not fully recognized. Some also believe it might cause tension between different groups or benefit those who are already more advantaged within minority groups. Different views exist on whether affirmative action helps or hinders progress toward equality.