Why do Digambara Jains believe that women must be reborn as men before reaching moksha?

In Digambara Jainism, the belief that a woman must be reborn as a man to achieve moksha (spiritual release) is a core tenet that distinguishes the sect from the Shvetambara tradition.1

This perspective is rooted in the Digambara interpretation of the monastic vocation and the vow of nonpossession. Because Digambara monks practice absolute nudity as the most rigorous expression of renouncing all worldly attachments, they maintain that women—who must wear robes—cannot fulfill the same level of ascetic practice required for ultimate liberation. Consequently, while Digambara Jainism does allow for the initiation of nuns, these women are viewed as needing to be reborn as men to advance fully on the path toward the complete purification of the soul and final enlightenment.12