A policy designed to redress past discrimination against women and minority groups through measures to improve their economic and educational opportunities WordNet 3.0 & Open English WordNet

Affirmative action, also known as positive action or positive discrimination, involves sets of policies and practices within a government or organization seeking to include particular groups that were historically discriminated against in areas in which such groups are underrepresented, mistreated or suffer from lack of public support — such as education and employment. Wikipedia

Policy of promoting members of groups that have previously suffered from discrimination Wikidata

A policy that takes factors including race, color, religion, sex or national origin into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter discrimination. OmegaWiki

A set of policies or programs providing advantages for people of a group who are seen to have traditionally been discriminated against. Wiktionary