Full Breakdown
Eiffel Tower Director Resigns After Female Staff Excluded During Hindu Delegation Visit
By Drooid · · How we work
The Resignation and Its Immediate Context
On 29 September 2026, Patrick Branco Ruivo announced he will leave his post as director general of the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE) at the end of the year. His decision follows an internal investigation that identified “operational flaws and shortcomings” in the organization of a protocol visit on 5 September 2026 by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a conservative Hindu group. During that visit, female employees were instructed to stay out of sight, some were removed from their posts and replaced by male colleagues. The outrage triggered a one-day strike on 7 September 2026, forcing the Eiffel Tower to close for the day.
Background to the September 5 Visit
BAPS, an international Hindu organization that builds temples worldwide, was in Paris to celebrate the inauguration of its first traditional stone temple in the region. The delegation, which included several monks and its 93-year-old spiritual leader Mahant Swami Maharaj, requested that “interactions with women” be limited because the monks’ vows forbid contact with women. SETE accepted the request, leading to the exclusion of female staff from certain areas of the monument on the day of the visit.
Data & Statistics
Official Statements & Responses
SETE chair Ariel Weil said the company will introduce gender-equality training and create a dedicated protocol department. The organization denied that it formally requested the removal of female employees, describing the coordination as a matter of “operational courtesy and logistics.”
Criticism & Opposition
Paris mayor Emmanuel Gregoire condemned the decision as “absurd, unjust and unacceptable,” ordering two investigations. Equality Minister Aurore Berge stated, “In France, we do not ask women to erase themselves. No dogma, no religion is above the laws of the Republic.” Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal warned, “In France, no culture, no belief, no religion, nothing and no one can come and dictate to women what their place should be.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “The coming months will allow us to prepare for the leadership transition under the best possible conditions,” — Mr Weil, SETE chair (q1)
- “Nevertheless, women were indeed sidelined, and I regret that,” — Branco Ruivo, CEO (q2)
- “The religious practices of our monks were explained to the Eiffel Tower's management in advance. These are personal spiritual commitments, which our monks observe without seeking to impose them on others. They do not require women to be excluded from the places they visit,” — BAPS (q3)
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the tower’s annual visitor count, citing 6.7 million versus “around 7 million.” No public record has clarified which figure is official. While BAPS denies issuing a formal request to remove female staff, SETE’s investigation notes that the delegation “requested” limited interaction with women; the precise wording of that request remains undocumented.
What’s Next
SETE has pledged to implement gender-equality training and establish a dedicated protocol department before the end of 2026.