At a time when efforts are being made to eradicate discrimination

When Carol Gilligan declared, “At a time when efforts are being made to eradicate discrimination between the sexes in the search for social equality and justice, the differences between the sexes are being rediscovered,” she spoke as a philosopher of paradox, unveiling a truth that pulses beneath the surface of modern struggles. Her words are not meant to divide, but to reveal: that even as humanity strives for equality and the end of discrimination, it must also reckon with the reality of difference. Equality is not sameness, and justice does not demand the erasure of uniqueness. In this balance between unity and diversity lies the wisdom of her observation.

The meaning of this quote lies in its dual vision. On one side, Gilligan honors the noble efforts to remove barriers that have long bound women and men in unequal chains. The battle for social justice demands that no sex be placed above the other, that dignity and opportunity be shared alike. Yet, she reminds us that while we abolish discrimination, we also rediscover the ways men and women may differ in voice, experience, or expression. These differences are not weapons of oppression, but gifts of diversity, to be acknowledged rather than denied. The danger lies not in difference itself, but in using difference to justify inequality.

The origin of her words rests in her groundbreaking work in psychology and ethics. Gilligan challenged the assumption that women’s ways of thinking were inferior simply because they differed from men’s. In her seminal book In a Different Voice, she argued that women often approached moral reasoning through care and relationship, while men leaned toward justice and rules. Rather than diminish women’s voices, Gilligan exalted them, revealing that true equality is not reached by erasing distinctions, but by valuing them equally.

History offers us the story of the Iroquois Confederacy, a society in which women held significant authority alongside men. Clan mothers chose chiefs and could depose them, and women’s perspectives were integral to decision-making. Here we see Gilligan’s wisdom embodied: differences between men and women were not erased, but honored, and from this balance emerged a powerful and enduring system of governance. The Iroquois remind us that justice is not born from sameness, but from harmony between diverse strengths.

The wisdom in Gilligan’s statement is this: beware of false equality that demands uniformity. A world where men and women are forced to be identical is not truly free. Freedom lies in recognizing that we may differ in body, in thought, in expression, yet remain equal in worth and dignity. To rediscover differences in the midst of the fight for justice is not regression, but a chance to build a richer vision of equality—one that celebrates the many ways of being human.

The lesson is clear: strive for equality without erasure. Fight against discrimination, but do not fall into the trap of denying diversity. Let each voice—male, female, or beyond—be heard in its true tone, without judgment or suppression. For in this chorus of many voices lies the harmony of justice.

What then must the listener do? First, defend the rights of all, ensuring that opportunity is never chained to sex or gender. Second, listen deeply to the voices that differ from your own, for in them you will discover not weakness, but strength. Third, live in the awareness that equality is not a flat plain where all stand the same, but a mountain range where many peaks rise together, each unique, each magnificent.

Remember always: equality and difference are not enemies, but companions. As Carol Gilligan teaches, to fight for justice is not to erase what makes us distinct, but to honor it without allowing it to divide. Let this wisdom guide you, so that in your pursuit of a just world, you do not seek sameness, but fairness—and in that fairness, the flourishing of all.