By Holly Hostettler-Davies | Contributor
The George Floyd protests, the Boston Tea Party, the 2017 WomenÔÇÖs March. Protests have been a long-standing method of communication for communities looking to get their voices heard. But how successful actually are these protests, and what might be a better tactic to getting our voices heard?
LetÔÇÖs take a look at what was likely the largest single-day protest in the United States, and the largest global womenÔÇÖs rights protest in history ÔÇô the 2017 WomenÔÇÖs March. The WomenÔÇÖs March was a worldwide protest held on the 21st January 2017, the day after President Donald TrumpÔÇÖs inauguration, prompted by the fact many people considered several of TrumpÔÇÖs statements as anti-women, or otherwise offensive to women.
According to The Lily, the WomenÔÇÖs March (where an estimated 3 to 5 million American women participated, joined by at least 216 marches in countries across the globe) ÔÇ£heralded a new global wave of womenÔÇÖs activismÔÇØ. It even resulted in historical numbers of women worldwide running for office.┬á
ItÔÇÖs no doubt that this is a fine example of a protest being the best tactic to get your voice heard. But this success has not been translated in other protests, asking the question of whether protesting is the best tactic to get your voice heard?
For example, the Insulate Britain protest which has been calling for a national programme to ensure homes are insulted to be low energy by 2030, has caused major disruption in recent weeks. From blocking major roads such as the M1, M4 and M25, more than 50 protestors arrested, to viral videos showing them stopping people from reaching their loved ones in hospital, we really are forced to ask ourselves whether this is an appropriate and successful way of getting their voices heard. 
According to an article written by Open Democracy, ÔÇ£by protesting, we alter the agenda and start a debateÔÇØ. That is exactly what Insulate Britain have done, and done well. But when other people are losing the ability to go to work, see their loved ones and live their lives, itÔÇÖs probably time to step back and look at the alternatives.┬á
How about donating money to a charity supporting your cause? Talking to your local authority leaders? Even making protest art, music or poetry can make a big impact. 
As a society we tend to underestimate the impact that our voices have, we donÔÇÖt think that people listen. We just have to find the right people to target. People are more likely to respond and respect what weÔÇÖre saying when our way of saying it doesnÔÇÖt stop them from going about their daily life.┬á
Of course, insulating BritainÔÇÖs homes is important and impacts the whole country, so we need something powerful to make people listen and to get the message across to everyone, but perhaps considering more creative ways to make a stand would be more impactful. After all, to reach the goal then we need to work together, so creating this divide isnÔÇÖt going to help reach the aim of ensuring homes are insulted to be low energy by 2030.
