Do feminist support affirmative action?

Question

I doubt anyone can honestly say that Affirmative Action is anything other than state sponsored discrimination. Since Equality and Affirmative Action are mutually exclusive can you be a feminist and support affirmative action?

Answer 1

I am not a fan of the affirmative action; however I can understand why some people are in favor of it.  However I feel that people should get jobs on their merits and not their race or s*x.  I think affirmative action takes away from people's accomplishments of getting certain jobs because others say they only got it because of their race or gender.

Answer 2

Not so much anymore. Affirmative action was useful once, but now that, for the most part, there are no real barriers for women and minorities, it's not necessary.

Answer 3

Yes they do; especially when it favor women.

http://www.now.org/issues/affirm/talking...

Answer 4

I'm not going to speak about feminism, but an example of positive discrimination which I feel is justified in my own country.

As a country we have just gone through a 30 year long conflict know as the troubles, were Republican (people who wanted a united Ireland) Loyalist (people who wanted NI to remain in the UK) paramilitaries butchered each other as well as members of the law enforcement and 1000s of innocent civilians.

However the police force, the RUC was also responsible or colluded in many murders themselves over the years.  Many people believed this is because the RUC was bias (The RUC was a 95% protestant force).  In recent years this has been proven to be true.

One of the stipulations in the peace process was the Pattern report which said, in short that the New PSNI (police service of Northern Ireland) must employ positive discrimination when recuting new members.

So for example there are 100 positions open 500 non- catholics apply 100 catholics apply (these are the groups they use) The recuiters must take 50 non-catholics and 50 catholics.

The reason given for this was that it would take far too long for the PSNI to be seen as representative and non bias is natural recuitment was to take place.

I agree with this position because the RUC, because of it's make-up pre-1998 facilated discrimination of the wost kind.

Positive discrimination and affermative action are sometimes needed.

Ps.  Catholics who want to join the PSNI are to be congratulated INHO as not only are they the targets of dissident republicans, who target them and their  families because they brand nationalists who support the police force as traitors but they are working towards making NI a more inclusive place.

No so long ago it was illegal to fly the Irish f*g here, votes were rigged infavour of unionists and nationalist civil rights protesters were beaten in the streets.  When a group is disenfranchised by a society the society must play a role to win their trust back.

Answer 5

i don't support it, but some do.

Answer 6

Only in areas which help women.