Recognising young women's authorship as a powerful force for civic change, we developed a creative framework for applied theatre that cultivates a space for young women to co-author "little words, BIG ISSUES": a diversity and inclusion workshop facilitated in cooperation with U.S middle school students. Activating girl-led activism through performance-based methods, students envisioned a more inclusive community by practising how to author responses to the hurtful little words that relate to big societal issues. We describe and analyse the programme design and workshop facilitation, and emphasise the value of young women's leadership in pursuing inclusivity in a variety of contexts.