Eiffel Tower chief to step down after female staff replaced during religious visit

The head of the company operating the Eiffel Tower, Patrick Branco Ruivo, is set to resign at the end of this year following controversy over women staff being replaced during a visit by a Hindu religious group. An internal investigation found significant operational flaws in managing the visit, leading to the "unacceptable" removal of female employees, according to the company Sete.

On September 5, around 100 people from the Hindu group Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, or Baps, made a private visit to the iconic landmark. The group had requested that interactions with women be limited during the visit. Upon passing through the tower, women were asked to leave their workstations to make room for men, according to union representative Diane Davoine.

The incident sparked a staff protest and led to an investigation by Paris city authorities. Sete has since acknowledged that the request should not have been accepted. Board chairman Ariel Weil announced the creation of a dedicated protocol department to implement new measures and training programs aimed at promoting gender equality.

The socialist mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Gregoire, called the decision to remove women staff "absurd, unjust and unacceptable." He deemed Ruivo's removal a "responsible decision," according to a source close to him. The Eiffel Tower, owned by the City of Paris, attracts nearly seven million visitors annually. The Hindu group Baps, established over a century ago in India's Gujarat state, has built temples worldwide, including in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a new temple in Abu Dhabi in 2024.