What is the name/act of legislation that required employers to hire women over men because they were women?

I'm writing some study notes for school and i vaguely remember our teacher telling us about at one point in history (it may be only Australia :S), where if there were a number of candidates for a job, women had to be selected just because they were women (and had the same qualifications etc. as the other candidates). Does anyone know what this law was called or anything about it?What is the name/act of legislation that required employers to hire women over men because they were women?Not sure about Australia, but in the US it's called Affirmative Action or Quotas. Many places are starting to outlaw such practices.What is the name/act of legislation that required employers to hire women over men because they were women?In the United States, it is called "affirmative action," and quotas (or, euphemistically, "targets") are often used as a way to force the desired results. In Britain (and, therefore, in many Commonwealth countries), it is called "POSITIVE DISCRIMINATION." So, that term might be what is used in Australia.