Full Breakdown
Eiffel Tower Chief Resigns After Female Staff Excluded During BAPS Visit
By Drooid · · How we work
Resignation Announcement and Immediate Cause
Patrick Branco Ruivo, director general of the Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), announced on September 29 that he will leave his post at the end of the year. The decision follows an internal probe that identified “operational flaws and shortcomings” in the handling of a private visit by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) on September 5, which resulted in female employees being removed from their workstations.
Context of the Controversy
BAPS, a worldwide Hindu organization within the Swaminarayan sect, was in Paris to celebrate the inauguration of a traditional stone temple. During its visit to the Eiffel Tower, the group requested that interactions with women be limited. SETE later acknowledged that those conditions “should not have been accepted.” The exclusion of women sparked a walkout by staff on September 8 and led to the monument’s closure on September 7 when employees struck over what a union official described as “unacceptable” management instructions.
Timeline of Key Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 5 | BAPS delegation visits; female staff are asked to leave certain areas. |
| September 7 | Eiffel Tower closed for one day after a staff strike. |
| September 8 | Employees stage a walkout protesting the removal of women. |
| September 29 | Patrick Branco Ruivo announces his resignation effective year-end. |
Visitor Numbers and Workforce Impact
The Eiffel Tower receives nearly seven million visitors annually. The incident involved a sizable portion of the tower’s operational staff, with reports that women were asked to vacate posts, replaced by men, or barred from crossing specific areas during the BAPS visit.
Official Statements and Responses
- Emmanuel Gregoire, mayor of Paris, called the removal of women “absurd, unjust and unacceptable,” ordered two separate investigations, and later acknowledged Ruivo’s “responsible decision” to resign while praising his service since 2018.
Criticism and Opposition
- Politicians across the French spectrum denounced the episode as an attack on fundamental liberties, emphasizing France’s commitment to secularism and gender equality.
Verbatim Quote
- “The coming months will allow us to prepare for the leadership transition under the best possible conditions,” — Ariel Weil, sete’s chairman
Outlook for Leadership Transition
Ariel Weil indicated that “the coming months will allow us to prepare for the leadership transition under the best possible conditions,” signaling that SETE will seek a successor while instituting the newly announced gender-equality protocols.