This is a striking contradiction to Plato's inegalitarian ideas. According to him, two principles structure society. First, different kinds of people have different natures. Second, the state is best served when people perform the duties for which their natures are suited. A distinction is made within nature, though.
Nature is made up of both body and soul.
Plato believes that there is a clear difference between body and soul. In his view, what makes a person able to rule is the soul, not the body. By this reasoning, a person with a female body can be a ruler if they have a ruling soul. This would seem to place women and men as equals. Despite the claim that women can be rulers because of their souls, Plato still views the characteristics of souls in dichotomous ways.