Opinion: Women can’t wait any longer for gender equality

Editor’s Note: Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg are co-CEOs and co-founders of theSkimm. The opinions expressed in this commentary are their own. View more opinion on CNN.

In August, Finland’s comprehensive family leave plan went into effect, granting 160 days of parental leave to both parents (or 320 days for a single parent). While it’s great to see the progress other countries are making, we question whether or not the US will ever understand how imperative paid family leave is to reach true gender equality.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation released a report in September that cites research estimating the world won’t reach gender equity until 2108. As women continue to shoulder the burden of caregiving, a lack of paid family leave adds to the inequalities they face in the workplace, too. Furthermore, because women earn less on average than men, they have to work longer for the same amount of pay. These disparities only increase for women of color.

Here’s the reality women are facing: The system is not just broken – it was never built to make us equal. But no step is too small when it comes to getting ahead of our futures. As women and business leaders, we cannot sit back and watch continued decades of inequality. We’re calling on business leaders to act in the following ways:

The odds continue to be stacked against women when it comes to their finances. They have less banked for retirement and in long-term savings, and they don’t work with investment advisers as much as men do, which can make it harder for them to build wealth.

It’s not just a wealth gap, but a wealth knowledge gap. Women often demonstrate a lack of confidence when it comes to their financial wellness, which contributes to lower levels of financial literacy when compared to their male counterparts.

As the way we save and invest shifts due to evolutions in fintech and cryptocurrency, information is key to ensure women have a seat at the table. A foundation of knowledge offers women an opportunity to take control of their finances and feel empowered when building wealth.

Business leaders need to provide women with resources that not only support their long-term goals – like 401(k) programs, stock options and equity in the company they are helping to build…