The Eiffel Tower's chief executive, Patrick Branco Ruivo, will step down at the end of this year after a national outcry over the forced removal of female staff during a visit by a Hindu religious delegation.
The incident unfolded when a delegation of about 100 members of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) requested that the tower's operations limit “interactions with women.” According to an internal investigation, this led to several female employees being asked to leave their posts and barred from certain areas. The move was met with a walk‑out by cleaners and security staff, forcing the tower to close for several hours.
National Assembly president Yaël Braun‑Pivet condemned the policy, saying “I refuse to allow women to be compelled to step aside in order to meet the demands of foreign visitors.” Paris mayor Emmanuel Gérin called the decision “absurd, unjust and unacceptable” and ordered two separate investigations.
SETE, the company that runs the landmark, said it had requested gender‑equality training and new procedures to “pre‑vent such lapses.” Chairman Ariel Weil said the upcoming months would “allow us to prepare for the leadership transition under the best possible conditions.”
BAPS apologized for the “pain or inconvenience caused” and stressed that it promotes “mutual respect and service.” Critics argue that the organisation’s practice of segregating men and women has no place in contemporary society and is discriminatory.
