Thank you for asking this with care. In Jain Dharma the soul (jīva) is genderless, and liberation (moksha) is achieved by destroying karmas through Right Faith, Right Knowledge, and Right Conduct. Clothing is an external discipline, not the liberating cause itself. The difference you’re noticing is due to how the two main traditions interpret the vow of non‑possession (aparigraha) and monastic conduct.

• Śvetāmbara view

- Monks and nuns both wear simple white cloth. Clothing, used without attachment and under strict rules, is not treated as a “possession.” Therefore, women can attain liberation in the present life. In this tradition, your concern “why should it matter?” is answered: it doesn’t—the cloth is permitted for both.

• Digambara view

- For male munis, total non‑possession is practiced as complete renunciation of all belongings—including clothing (sky‑clad). This is seen as the fullest external support to inner detachment. - Women (āryikās) cover themselves for modesty and safety. Because they cannot practice sky‑clad conduct, Digambara ācāryas conclude that the final stage of conduct needed for moksha isn’t possible in a female body; thus, a woman advances spiritually but attains moksha after rebirth as a man. Here, the “simple cloth” matters as a sign that the very last external aid to absolute non‑possession is not adopted. This is about conduct, not about the soul’s worth.

Key points to keep clear and respectful

• The soul’s capacity is equal in all; differences are in permitted disciplines.
• In Śvetāmbara, both men and women cover; in Digambara, men monks go sky‑clad while women cover—hence your observed difference.
• Even where women cover, their vows are extremely rigorous: celibacy, carefulness, and non‑attachment are identical in inner essence.

So, liberation is about the soul; cloth is an external means of discipline whose role is interpreted differently by the two traditions.