Nod to positive discrimination? (11,6)

I believe the answer is:

affirmative action

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'nod to positive discrimination?' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.

'positive discrimination?' is the wordplay.
'positive' becomes 'affirmative' (similar in meaning).
'discrimination?' becomes 'action' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'affirmative'+'action'='AFFIRMATIVE ACTION'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for affirmative action that I've seen before include "Means of helping those who suffer from discrimination" , "Steps against discrimination" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.