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Eiffel Tower CEO to Resign Over Female Staff Removal During Hindu Visit
Confirmed
In Short: The chief executive of the company that runs the Eiffel Tower, Patrick Branco Ruivo, will step down at the end of 2026 following a controversy over the removal of female staff during a visit by a Hindu religious group.
The chief executive of the company that runs the Eiffel Tower, Patrick Branco Ruivo, will step down at the end of 2026 following a controversy over the removal of female staff during a visit by a Hindu religious group.
An internal investigation found that “operational flaws and shortcomings” in organizing the visit led to the “unacceptable” exclusion of female staff, according to SETE, the company that operates the Eiffel Tower.
During the visit, female employees were asked to leave their places of work and instructed not to go through or cross certain areas while the delegation was present.
The delegation of BAPS Hindu monks, which visited the Eiffel Tower earlier this month as part of a visit to Paris to open a new temple, had requested that the visit be organized to limit interactions with women.
The incident led to a one-day closure of the Eiffel Tower on September 7, as staff went on strike to show their outrage.
The Socialist mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Gregoire, called the decision to sideline female staff “absurd, unjust, and unacceptable” and ordered two separate investigations.
The local trade union condemned “workplace instructions that led to female employees being sidelined, replaced and rendered invisible based on their gender.”
BAPS said in a statement that they coordinated with the Eiffel Tower’s management to minimize disruption to staff and visitors, and that they believe in the universal values of mutual respect and service.
The Eiffel Tower, one of the world’s most-visited landmarks, is visited by some 7 million people each year.
The incident has drawn criticism from French politicians and has angered the staff, leading to a protest and a walkout on September 8.
What this adds
The departure of Ruivo does not establish that he personally ordered female employees to be removed.
What's confirmed
- Staff at the monument said female employees were also "instructed not to go through or cross certain areas while the delegation was present".
- “To the best of our knowledge, at no point was anyone prevented access to the Eiffel Tower. Nevertheless, we sincerely apologise for any pain or inconvenience caused. We believe in the universal values of mutual respect and service,” the organisation said.
What's still developing
- BAPS said the Eiffel Tower visit had been scheduled at the start of normal opening hours because of the size of its delegation and to minimise disruption.
- The departure does not, by itself, establish that Ruivo personally ordered female employees to be removed.
- Diane Davoine of the CGT union told The Associated Press anger grew among staff of the iconic 330-meter (1,083-foot) tower over the weekend after management told employees that female workers should ″not be in contact″ with a visiting delegation from Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha.
- Davoine said the tower often hosts special delegations, including U.S. President Donald Trump, visiting royals and celebrities like Britney Spears, and staff are happy to adapt.
- The group, known as BAPS, is a worldwide religious and civic organization within the Swaminarayan sect, a branch of Hinduism.
- The workers launched the protest in solidarity with female employees and held a meeting over the incident, with the monument being shut down on Monday.