Affirmative Action Programs Affirmative action programs have played an important role in giving opportunities to women and minorities to begin to take their rightful place in our society, and these measures are still needed today. Affirmative action programs have opened doors for women in the workplace, in our schools, and in other areas of our society. But equal opportunity for women is still not visible in our society. Eliminating affirmative action would not only stop the progress that women are making; it would mark a giant step backward in our country's journey toward equal opportunity for all. In employment, examples of affirmativ