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Madina Iltireh, a Djibouti-Canadian diplomat who once served at Canada’s embassy in Kuwait, has taken her battle against discrimination to the Federal Court after Global Affairs Canada repeatedly dismissed her complaints of racism and harassment. Her case has reignited a national discussion about systemic racism within Canada’s diplomatic service.
Iltireh spent over 20 years working on Canada’s foreign aid programs and was posted to Kuwait between 2018 and 2021. She says those three years left her emotionally and mentally scarred. “I was representing Canada, but Canada did not represent me,” she said, recalling how her repeated requests for help were ignored. “I went through hell.”
Her troubles began after she filed eight formal complaints accusing Canada’s then-ambassador to Kuwait of racial harassment, intimidation, and exclusion from work activities. Global Affairs Canada initially dismissed all her complaints, forcing her to turn to the courts. In 2024, the Federal Court ordered the department to reopen the investigation. The new report, later obtained by Radio-Canada, confirmed that four of her eight allegations were valid. It concluded that the ambassador had failed to ensure a healthy workplace and had tolerated bullying behavior.
Despite these findings, Iltireh says she received no apology, compensation, or assurance that the situation would not repeat itself. “I need the department to show me change and to prove that what I went through will never happen again,” she said. The report also described a hostile work environment where Iltireh was criticized, excluded from meetings, and treated as an outsider. On top of that, she endured poor living conditions, including a broken air conditioner and frequent power outages that were ignored for years. “The place I was for three years was toxic and suffocating,” she said. “I developed anxiety, I lost memory, and I’m still trying to rebuild what I lost.”
Her case has become an example of what many see as a deeply flawed process for addressing discrimination within Global Affairs Canada. Nicholas Marcus Thompson, executive director of the Black Class Action Secretariat, said Iltireh’s experience is similar to what many Black and racialized public servants face. “The system is dysfunctional,” he said. “Workers are silenced, complaints are blocked, and those who speak up suffer while the leadership advances.” His group, representing over 45,000 federal employees, has been calling on the government to create an independent body to investigate discrimination claims and reform the Employment Equity Act.
Veteran diplomat Tariq Gordon, who co-founded a peer support group within Global Affairs, said Iltireh’s experience reflects widespread issues in the department. “She’s not an isolated case,” he said. “There are so many stories of people suffering quietly, afraid to jeopardize their careers by speaking up.”
In response, Global Affairs Canada said it has a “zero-tolerance policy” toward misconduct and that its investigators act professionally and fairly. The department added that it is considering new ways to make the complaint process more transparent and consistent. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand acknowledged the seriousness of the issue, saying discrimination in any form is “unacceptable.” She emphasized the importance of building an inclusive public service that reflects Canada’s diversity.
For Iltireh, the fight is not just about personal justice but about changing a system she says failed her and others like her. “Hopefully, the ministry will change so the people coming after me don’t have to go through what I did,” she said.