If women are expected to do the same work as men, we must teach them the same things.

This sentiment is associated with Plato’s argument in the "Republic" that women in the guardian class should be educated and trained alongside men for the same civic and military functions. In the course of designing an ideal city, Socrates contends that differences between the sexes do not justify assigning wholly different occupations; rather, individuals should be selected by aptitude. Because the guardians’ role requires rigorous intellectual and physical formation, Plato maintains that women who are to share these duties must receive the same education—music, gymnastics, and philosophical training—as their male counterparts. The line is often quoted in modern paraphrase to capture that argument for equal training tied to equal responsibilities.

The sentiment aligns with Plato’s argument in the Republic that women in the guardian class should receive the same education and training as men if they are to perform the same civic functions. In that discussion, Plato challenges conventional Greek assumptions about gender by separating biological difference from aptitude for virtue and political responsibility. The quote, as phrased, expresses an early rationale for educational equality: equal duties require equal preparation. Even if Plato’s proposal is limited to a specific class and framed within his hierarchical ideal state, it remains a notable ancient articulation of the principle that social roles and education should correspond, not be restricted by custom.