Thanks to a growing number of HollaBack blogs, women now have the option of humiliating men who sexually harass them, this week's column reports. There's even a site just for women in Washington, Idaho and Oregon.

I spoke with HollaBack Pacific Northwest's November Papaleo and she described being inspired to start the blog after meeting with the activists behind HollaBackNYC in New York City last year.

"Our culture encourages men to be hyper-sexual," said Papaleo, who once encountered sexual harassment in a supermarket. "I got goosed between the apples and oranges and I'm not produce. You can't tell if I'm ripe by grabbing me."

She stressed that catcalling, leering and groping creates a climate of fear for women. "This is called sexual terrorism because women have to walk to their cars with keys in their hands," Papaleo said. "We don't feel safe anywhere."

About 10 years ago I was editing an alternative weekly in Chicago and one of the staff writers told me about being catcalled on the way to work. She turned the experience--and interviews with other women--into a powerful cover story.

It was an eye-opening moment for me. Men who don't engage in catcalling don't usually have the problem on their radar screens. When we're walking with women, creeps don't tend to catcall them, so it's an invisible issue. Until we start hearing stories like the ones shared by HollaBack visitors. Just by raising awareness of the issue, the sites serve an important purpose. But the main goal is empowerment for victims of harassment.

Papaleo aims to publicize the site on college campuses in the region, and invites interested representatives of student groups to contact her by emailing hollabackpnw@gmail.com.

Links to this week's mentioned sites:

HollaBack Pacific Northwest
HollaBack New York City
Don'tDateHimGirl
Advice Goddess Blog

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