Eiffel Tower boss resigns after alleged exclusion of female staff during BAPS visit: What we know | Today’s news
Weeks after women were barred from the Eiffel Tower in Paris during a visit by a Hindu religious group, the head of the company that runs the monument is set to step down at the end of the year.
The AP news agency reported on Tuesday (local time) that Patrick Branco Ruivo, CEO of the Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel, will leave his post after an independent investigation found a series of operational failures linked to the September 5 incident.
The company that runs the Eiffel Tower called the incident “unacceptable”
In a statement, the company called the incident an “unacceptable situation” and added that the failure had led to female staff being excluded from the visit. Ruivo was appointed in late 2018.
Ariel Weil, chairman of the company that operates the landmark, said on Tuesday that he had called for measures and training programs aimed at promoting gender equality.
The Eiffel Tower, which attracts around seven million visitors a year, was closed on September 7 after workers went on strike over management directives that a union official described as “unacceptable”.
What do we know about the incident?
Earlier this month, Paris authorities launched an investigation after female staff were allegedly sidelined when a delegation from the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) visited the monument.
BAPS is a worldwide religious and civic organization within the Swaminarayan sect, a branch of Hinduism. The group was celebrating the inauguration of a traditional stone temple in Paris.
Tensions rose among employees at the 330-meter landmark after management instructed staff to avoid contact with the delegation.
According to a statement reported by AFP, Eiffel Tower staff condemned the incident, describing the guidelines as “professional guidelines that led to female employees being sidelined, replaced and made invisible because of their gender.”
The staff added: “Instructions have been given to female Eiffel Tower employees and female contractor employees to become invisible to welcome this delegation.” They further stated that they were shocked to find themselves in such a situation.
The statement added: “Some were asked to leave their posts and retreat to other areas. In some places they were replaced by men. And all female employees were instructed not to walk or cross certain areas while the delegation was present.”
BAPS Notes on Alleged Side Incident
In a statement to the AP, BAPS said the group “never asked for female employees to be hidden, removed or excluded from visiting.” The statement added: “The religious practices of our monks have been explained in advance to the management of the Eiffel Tower. These are personal spiritual commitments that our monks observe without trying to impose them on others. They do not require women to be excluded from the places they visit.”
However, this is not the first time that the 137-year-old monument has been closed due to protest actions. In February 2024, the Eiffel Tower was closed for six days as protesting employees demanded better maintenance of the monument and higher wages.
