5 Feminist Politicians To Keep On Your Radar

March 8 is International Women's Day, and that means feminist leaders from around the world will be congregating to celebrate the accomplishments of women and to commit to accelerating the progress of gender equality, because it's 2016, and after 200,000 years of humanity on this planet, it's high time we put an end to institutionalized sexism. In honor of International Women's Day, instead of just posting a lengthy rant on Facebook or a #girlpower tweet, take your action a step further and contact a feminist politician to express your concern over sexism in United States policy-making.

It can be really tough to keep track of which politicians take real and meaningful action when it comes to forwarding women's rights. Gender equality has become a hot button issue, especially with Hillary Clinton's presidential candidacy and the high profile Supreme Court case Whole Women's Health vs. Hellerstedt, and politicians on both sides of the aisle have been doing some serious finger wagging over who has the moral high ground when it comes to supporting women.

So, to help you wade through the partisan posturing, here is a list of politicians who have tangibly supported the rights and, I can't believe I actually have to say this, the worth of women from advocating for equal pay for equal work, defending a woman's right to access reproductive healthcare, and supporting families by championing paid family leave.

1. Elizabeth Warren

Elizabeth Warren is the queen of feminist policy-makers, as far as I'm concerned, and the Massachusetts Senator has been fighting the good fight since 2013 voting yes on the Paycheck Fairness Act, yes to uphold the Affordable Care Act, and yes to fund Planned Parenthood. Here she is commenting on last year's government shutdown.

2. Rosa DeLauro

Rosa DeLauro is the U.S. Representative for Connecticut's Third Congressional District, and has been for 25 years. She is extremely active in women's health legislation and has sponsored numerous bills in support of women's health including research initiatives to study birth defects and diseases that affect breastfed infants. She is a practicing member of the Catholic Church despite her staunch pro-choice stance. In this tweet, she encourages her congressional colleagues to vote yes on the Paycheck Fairness Act ensuring equal pay for equal work, regardless of gender.

3. Richard Blumenthal

You don't have to be female to be a feminist politician. Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal has a flawless track record when it comes to voting in support of women's rights. He voted yes to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which seems like a no-brainer until you consider that a whopping 160 Republicans in the Senate and House of Representatives voted no on the bill. He is also a consistent ally of the LGBT community.

4. Tammy Baldwin

Tammy Baldwin is the first openly gay person to be elected to the U.S. Senate. She has been demonized by her opponents as a dangerous radical. But just like the more than 90 percent of other women — be they gay, straight, or bisexual — in the Senate and House of Representatives, Baldwin stands with the rights of women to access healthcare and receive equal pay for the work that they do.

5. Patty Murray

In 1992, Patty Murray became the first woman elected as a Senator from the state of Washington. Since that day, she has been a voice for victims of rape, introducing The Emergency Contraception Access and Education Act which mandated that hospitals that receive federal funding be required to dispense emergency contraceptives to rape victims receiving treatment. She is currently running for re-election for what would be her fifth term in the U.S. Senate.

Images: Getty Images (4)