How Can You Overcome Systemic Exclusion and Build a More Inclusive Workplace Culture?

What Are the 7 Steps to Radical Inclusion and How Can They Help You Drive Systemic Change?

Learn how to identify systemic exclusion and build equitable communities. This review of Radical Inclusion shares 7 practical steps to foster a truly inclusive workplace.

Ready to transform your organization and advocate for lasting equity? Read the full article to explore the seven-step framework for creating an environment where everyone truly belongs.

Genres

Management, Leadership, Corporate Culture, Career Success, Society, Culture

Introduction: Empower yourself to create systemic change through inclusion.

Radical Inclusion (2024) tells the compelling story of a fight to guarantee the right of pregnant girls in Sierra Leone to attend school. It explores how exclusionary systems can be transformed and offers practical strategies for creating more inclusive and equitable communities. Through personal stories and global experiences, it will provide you with a blueprint for fostering a world where everyone truly belongs.

Exclusion affects everyone, regardless of status or circumstance. The late Queen Elizabeth II’s challenges with mobility, which made public appearances difficult, show how exclusion can touch even those at the highest levels of society. On a systemic level, barriers like Sierra Leone’s ban on pregnant girls attending school highlight how exclusion can limit opportunities for entire groups. Whether personal or structural, exclusion shapes lives in ways that are often profound and lasting.

One reason exclusion persists is its invisibility. Deeply rooted in culture and policy, many forms of exclusion are so normalized that they go unchallenged. Recognizing these barriers and understanding their consequences is a necessary first step toward breaking them down.

Radical inclusion offers a clear way forward. It’s a commitment to removing the barriers that prevent equal participation and creating spaces where everyone, regardless of their differences, can contribute fully. This doesn’t mean ignoring differences but rather embracing them as essential to building fairer and stronger communities. The process requires intentional and sustained effort to ensure that inclusion becomes permanent.

In this summary, you’ll learn about a seven-step framework for radical inclusion. You’ll also discover practical strategies for identifying exclusion and creating lasting change. These principles demonstrate how intentional inclusion can transform societies and improve lives for everyone.

Recognizing and addressing exclusion

Exclusion often feels invisible because it’s so embedded in everyday norms and systemic practices. In Sierra Leone, pregnant girls were banned from school based on assumptions about morality and disruption. This policy not only denied them education but compounded the shame and isolation they already endured. Challenging such exclusion began with asking, Who is missing, and why?

Unintentional exclusion can often go unnoticed. When Sengeh was a child, Bakarr, a boy with a disability, was never picked to play football – not out of cruelty but because everyone assumed he couldn’t contribute. When a new teammate invited Bakarr to play, he excelled as a goalkeeper, shifting the group’s perspective and enriching their games. Exclusion often stems from unexamined beliefs – inclusion requires intentional action to recognize who’s been left out.

The same principles apply to systemic exclusion. The pregnant girls in Sierra Leone were often blamed for their own situation, with opponents of reform arguing that their presence would set a “bad example.” Yet the reality of the true impact of the policy was that many faced bullying, isolation, and pressure to marry early, but their desire for education remained strong. One girl explained that she’d rather endure morning sickness in class than stay home and sell goods. The girls’ individual stories highlighted the disconnect between assumptions about pregnant students and their lived realities.

Identifying exclusion is the first step to addressing it. This means naming the issue clearly and focusing on the voices of those most affected. It also means asking critical questions: Who is being left out? What barriers are keeping them away? By combining qualitative stories with data, you can challenge entrenched biases and build a case for inclusion.

Understanding exclusion through listening

Active listening is essential to grasping the complexities of exclusion, particularly in education. This became evident during discussions in Sierra Leone about lifting the ban on pregnant girls attending school. By listening to teachers, students, and community members, the resistance to change became clear – not as simple opposition, but as a web of misconceptions, fears, and cultural beliefs that needed to be understood and addressed.

The debates often reflected deep biases, which could only be revealed through open dialogue. At a town hall in Makeni, the audience was encouraged to voice their concerns about reversing the ban. When the policy change was included in the presentation, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. Teachers and principals argued that allowing pregnant girls to return would disrupt classrooms and lower moral standards. These reactions show the complexity of changing entrenched views, but also the importance of hearing them out.

A breakthrough moment came when Gloria, a school principal, revealed that she’d been a pregnant schoolgirl herself – forced to leave her home and education behind. Her candid testimony silenced the room and reframed the issue. Gloria’s presence as a respected educator challenged assumptions, showing that supporting pregnant students wasn’t a matter of lowering standards but of offering them the same opportunities as others to succeed. Her ability to link personal experience with professional insight sparked a shift in how others engaged with the topic.

So the second step is to Listen, to understand and learn. Active listening was critical to turning the conversation toward solutions. Myths were countered with evidence, and pointed questions invited reflection. For instance, fears about morality were addressed by pointing out that pregnant girls already sit in mosques and churches without influencing others to follow their path. This appeal to shared religious values highlighted the inconsistency in arguments and encouraged new ways of thinking.

Through these discussions, a broader understanding emerged: the success of the policy would depend not just on the schools but on community support. Gloria’s story emphasized the need to engage families who often abandon pregnant girls, leaving them with little hope of reintegration. This realization led to calls for a “whole package” approach – support systems for girls, their families, and their communities.

Active listening goes beyond hearing words. It requires uncovering biases, challenging assumptions, and finding common ground, even in opposition.

Defining your role and understanding the right time to act

Sengeh’s path to public service was shaped by family values, education, and a deep commitment to helping others. Growing up in Sierra Leone, he admired his uncle, a dedicated surgeon who served his community selflessly, even in the face of personal hardship. Watching his uncle save lives and support patients who couldn’t afford care inspired Sengeh to aim high. He initially dreamed of combining medicine, engineering, and research, pursuing a PhD in biomedical sciences to create technologies that could improve lives. Over time, though, he realized that education, deeply rooted in his family’s history, was the most effective way for him to make a broader impact.

Taking on the role of Sierra Leone’s education minister placed Sengeh in a position to address systemic challenges. One of the most pressing issues was the exclusion of pregnant girls from schools. This policy reflected deeper societal inequalities, and he recognized the urgency of overturning it. He worked to engage the public, using media platforms to shift opinions and dispel myths. By framing the issue as one of inclusion and national values, he invited others to join a collective effort toward change.

Effective leadership for Sengeh meant adapting to challenges as they arose. His scientific background provided tools for problem-solving, but the realities of public service required listening to diverse perspectives and managing resistance. Addressing entrenched cultural norms around the ban on pregnant girls required persistence and empathy. Through these efforts, he demonstrated that change requires building coalitions and creating a shared vision.

The third step, then, is to Define your role – Why you? Why now? Finding the right role to make an impact involves understanding your personal strengths and the needs of the moment. By recognizing how to act effectively within a specific context, you can align your individual efforts with a larger purpose, transforming obstacles into opportunities for meaningful change.

Building strong coalitions for lasting change

How do you tackle systemic problems that feel too big to solve on your own? It starts with the fourth step, Build a coalition. Addressing entrenched societal barriers requires gathering a diverse group of allies who bring complementary strengths to the table. In addressing the exclusion of pregnant girls from school, partnerships with teachers, parents, and advocacy groups were critical. Each group offered unique perspectives and resources to help dismantle exclusionary policies. No single person can take on this kind of work alone.

Coalitions require more than simply bringing people together. Building trust and mutual respect is essential to overcome resistance and achieve shared goals. Advocacy groups and government officials often begin with conflicting priorities, but by finding common ground, you can create a sense of unity. For instance, early skepticism about the reforms was addressed by encouraging open dialogue, leading to productive collaboration.

At the heart of any effective coalition is the inclusion of marginalized voices. The experiences of those directly affected by exclusion guide priorities and ensure the solutions are meaningful. The pregnant girls in Sierra Leone were involved in shaping the reforms aimed at supporting their return to school. This approach not only validated their experiences but also built policies that reflected their actual needs, not assumptions made by others.

Forming a coalition involves more than gathering support. It requires earning trust, aligning interests, and ensuring that those most affected have a seat at the table. The people you include will determine the strength of your coalition and the lasting impact of the solutions you create.

Driving change through advocacy and action

Sengeh, as Sierra Leone’s minister of education, faced a daunting challenge: ending the ban on pregnant girls returning to school. Resistance to change came from deeply entrenched cultural, political, and religious concerns. But Sengeh’s approach to advocacy offered a blueprint for achieving meaningful reform – one that combined persistence, strategic preparation, and a focus on addressing fears. This is the fifth step, Advocacy and action.

Success began with careful groundwork. He spent months identifying the obstacles to change, listening to opponents and allies alike. He gathered evidence, engaged with stakeholders, and tailored his arguments to address specific concerns. These conversations were critical in understanding the fears driving resistance, such as worries about cultural preservation, religious opposition, and political backlash.

During the cabinet meeting, Sengeh’s presentation addressed every objection systematically. He reframed the policy not as a reversal of past decisions but as an opportunity to protect vulnerable children and demonstrate Sierra Leone’s leadership in upholding human rights. Citing evidence and legal rulings, he emphasized how schools offered safety and structure during crises like the Ebola epidemic, when children in school were less likely to experience harm. He showed that including pregnant girls in schools would provide similar protection, countering fears that their presence might disrupt others. Addressing religious concerns, he argued that Sierra Leone’s values of tolerance and compassion supported inclusion.

Persistence was essential. Sengeh didn’t let setbacks deter him, even as resistance remained strong. Instead, he focused on fostering understanding, reminding his colleagues that fear of action should not outweigh the consequences of inaction. When President Bio assured the cabinet that endorsing the reform wouldn’t weaken his leadership, it shifted the room’s dynamic, allowing hesitant ministers to reconsider their stances.

By the end of the debate, the cabinet voted to lift the ban – a decision that marked a transformative step for Sierra Leone. For Sengeh, the victory was just the start. The challenge now was to ensure that this bold policy translated into meaningful, sustainable change for all the girls it was meant to support.

Building a new culture of inclusion

Creating lasting systemic change requires flexibility to address both expected and unexpected challenges. In Sierra Leone, lifting the ban on pregnant girls attending school was only the beginning. Barriers like parental fears, logistical challenges, and teacher biases still needed to be addressed. Engaging directly with communities was key – teachers visited families to address concerns, explain the policy, and build trust, ensuring parents felt confident sending their daughters back to school.

Strong relationships and open communication are essential for sustaining progress. Leaders and change-makers should create spaces where people can discuss difficult topics openly. These spaces help communities voice resistance and gradually embrace change. Cultural tools, such as humor, can also play a role in normalizing inclusion. In Sierra Leone, comedians began celebrating pregnant girls in schools through their skits, showing how storytelling and media can shift societal attitudes and make reform relatable.

Empowering communities ensures that reforms take root. Teachers, parents, and local leaders often need tools and training to implement changes effectively. Organizations like Girls Plus supported pregnant girls directly by creating practical solutions, such as places where young mothers could care for their babies while attending school, and providing emotional and logistical support. This shows the importance of adjusting environments and systems to meet the needs of marginalized groups. Building strong local partnerships and offering tailored support can ensure that reforms are more sustainable.

Look for allies at the boundary between exclusion and inclusion – those who may have initially resisted but now advocate for change. Their unique understanding of both sides can help bridge divides and inspire broader acceptance. And never underestimate the power of engaging young people. In Sierra Leone, school clubs taught boys and girls to support each other, whether by helping classmates during menstruation or understanding the struggles of pregnant students. These initiatives shifted perspectives and created a stronger basis for inclusion to thrive.

True progress requires more than just passing new policies. It demands long-term commitment, practical support, and innovative strategies that make inclusion accessible and visible to everyone. In short, the sixth step, Adapting to a new normal. By empowering others and encouraging collaboration, you can turn inclusion from a policy into a lived reality.

Sustaining progress and addressing emerging challenges

Sustaining progress toward inclusion means staying alert and committed to protecting the changes that have already been made. Without this focus, it’s easy for systems to slip back into old habits, even after reforms have taken place. Allowing the pregnant girls to return to school in Sierra Leone marked a significant step forward. But that progress needed ongoing support to make sure it wasn’t reversed and to ensure it truly reached those it was meant to help. So this is the seventh and final step, going Beyond inclusion.

Individual advocacy and institutional action work best when they complement each other. Take the example of Black students at places like Harvard and MIT. Despite attending schools that were making strides toward diversity, they still faced racial profiling and other forms of exclusion. Personal experiences, such as being questioned by campus police or misidentified because of race, showed how ingrained biases were still undermining progress. These incidents reinforced the need for cultural changes, alongside the structural efforts like committees and advocacy groups aimed at tackling inequity.

It’s also important to be proactive about recognizing new forms of exclusion. Often, progress in one area reveals gaps elsewhere. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sierra Leone worked to ensure students could keep learning despite school closures. Expanding radio programs, printing materials for remote areas, and creating online resources addressed the immediate challenge while shining a light on long-standing issues of access. These actions not only supported education but also exposed inequalities that had gone unnoticed.

Inclusion doesn’t stop with a single policy or action – it requires ongoing care and creativity. Whether addressing racial bias, supporting disabled individuals, or improving access to resources, progress is only meaningful when it brings lasting benefits to everyone. Each step forward should build on the last while remaining open to the needs and voices of those still excluded.

Conclusion

In this summary to Radical Inclusion by David MoininaSengeh, you’ve learned that lasting inclusion can be achieved following a seven-step framework. First, recognize and address exclusion by identifying who’s missing and why. Next, practice active listening to understand the root causes of exclusion and challenge biases. Then, define your role – understand why you are the right person to act, and why now. Building strong coalitions is the fourth step; uniting diverse allies strengthens efforts for systemic change. Fifth, advocate and take action by addressing fears and myths, providing evidence, and reframing the issue. The sixth step focuses on adapting to a new normal, empowering communities and offering tailored support to ensure inclusion thrives. Finally, sustaining progress and addressing emerging challenges is essential; inclusion requires continuous effort and creativity to maintain and extend its benefits. Through these steps, you can transform exclusion into lasting, equitable change.