The situation
Patrick Branco Ruivo, the director general of the Eiffel Tower, is stepping down at the end of the year. The move follows a major controversy earlier this month when female staff were removed from their posts to accommodate a visiting group of Hindu monks.
How we got here
Around 100 people from the BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha) group visited the Parisian landmark to mark the opening of a new temple. BAPS, a movement originating in the 18th century, maintains strict separation between men and women in their religious activities.
Reports surfaced that the group requested limited "interactions with women" during their visit. In an internal investigation, SETE—the company running the tower—admitted to "operational flaws and shortcomings." The result was that female employees were instructed to clear their workstations or avoid certain areas while the delegation was present.
The fallout
Staff were lowkey fuming, leading to a strike that forced the tower to close. The vibes were off for everyone involved, with many condemning the decision to prioritize the group's requests over workers' rights. Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of France's National Assembly, hit back hard, stating she refused to see women forced to step aside to meet foreign visitors' demands.
Paris officials, including the mayor, called the decision "absurd, unjust and unacceptable." BAPS eventually issued an apology, saying they believe in "mutual respect and service," though critics argue that 18th-century segregation practices have no place in a modern, professional setting. It’s giving major discrimination, and clearly, the fallout was too much for the leadership to survive.
Why it matters
This incident has sparked a national debate in France over the line between respecting religious freedom and upholding secular gender equality in public spaces. SETE is now implementing new training programs to ensure this never happens again.
