Enharmony: Being Equal without Being Identical. A Reflection on Gender Equality

Abstract

This article reflects on the idea of equality from a gender perspective. Specifically, it states that the current gap between formal and effective equality should be addressed using a transformative approach to patterns of socioeconomic, cultural and personal relations. To do so, it is crucial to deal with two issues: the necessity to conjoin equality with freedom and pluralism, understood as interdependent values; and secondly, to conceive equality as a universal and ethical referent. In this sense, the article proposes the use of a musical formula, the enharmonic principle, as perhaps the best metaphor to understand the idea and practice of equality in contemporary societies.