Under the Equality Act 2010, positive action means action that is taken to encourage certain groups, for example women or people from a particular racial minority, to take advantage of opportunities for employment if the purpose is to tackle their underrepresentation in a particular field.
Positive action is permissible under the Equality Act 2010. Examples of positive action include stating in the advertisement that applications from women are particularly welcome and using types of media for advertising that are likely to be seen by members of a particular racial or religious group.
Positive action, which is lawful, should be distinguished from positive discrimination, which is unlawful.