Eiffel Tower Director General to Resign Following Backlash Over Female Staff Removal During Religious Visit

The head of the company that operates the Eiffel Tower is stepping down after facing severe criticism because female staff members were sidelined during a visit by a Hindu religious group.

Patrick Branco Ruivo, who has served as the director general of the Paris landmark since 2018, will depart from his position at the end of the year. An internal investigation conducted by the company Sete revealed "operational flaws and shortcomings" in organizing the visit, which resulted in the "unacceptable" removal of women staff, according to an official statement.

On September 5, female employees were asked to vacate their workstations when a delegation of approximately 100 individuals associated with the Hindu group Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, also known as Baps, conducted a private tour of the Eiffel Tower. The organization had requested that "interactions with women" be limited during their visit. The group was in Paris to open a new temple with a ceremony featuring a virtual address by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“As the delegation passed through, women were asked to leave their workstations so that men could take their places,” stated Diane Davoine, a union representative, following the incident. The union strongly demanded that women never experience such treatment at the company again, prompting employee protests and a formal investigation by Paris city authorities.

Sete has officially acknowledged that the group's request should never have been accepted. Ariel Weil, the chairman of the company's board, announced the creation of a “dedicated protocol department.” This new department will implement a comprehensive set of measures and training programs specifically designed to promote gender equality.

Emmanuel Gregoire, the socialist mayor of Paris who previously condemned the decision to remove female staff as “absurd, unjust and unacceptable,” regarded Mr Ruivo's departure as a “responsible decision,” according to an individual close to him who spoke with AFP.

The Eiffel Tower, owned by the City of Paris, welcomes nearly seven million visitors annually. Baps was founded over a century ago in Mr Modi's home state of Gujarat and functions as a socio-spiritual Hindu organization whose monks adhere to strict rules of celibacy and followers observe specific moral guidelines. The group has constructed temples globally, including locations in Atlanta, Chicago, London, Sydney, and Nairobi, and in 2024, Mr Modi inaugurated its massive temple in Abu Dhabi, marking one of the largest Hindu temples in the Middle East.