Eiffel Tower Reopens After Staff Strike Over Gender-Based Sidelining During BAPS Visit
Eiffel Tower staff protested after women were asked to step aside during a BAPS delegation visit, prompting an apology and a city investigation.
The Eiffel Tower was temporarily shut on Monday after a weekend visit by a Hindu religious delegation triggered a staff protest over the treatment of female employees. The monument has since reopened, but the incident has sparked a formal investigation by Paris city authorities and sharp political reactions.
The controversy stems from a private tour on Saturday by a group linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS). According to the local trade union, management issued instructions that led to women being "sidelined, replaced and rendered invisible on the basis of their gender."
Union representative Diane Davoine said women were asked to vacate their workstations so men could take over, and all female staff were told to avoid certain areas while the delegation was present. "Women were asked to leave their workstations so that men could take their places," Davoine told Reuters, adding that the affected employees felt humiliated by the treatment.
The operator of the Eiffel Tower, Société d'Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), acknowledged that the delegation had requested the visit be arranged to limit "interactions with women." The company admitted these conditions "should not have been accepted" and said they were inconsistent with its values and the principle of gender equality. SETE president Ariel Weil promised to "shed light on what happened" and draw the necessary conclusions.
BAPS, in its own statement, said the visit was scheduled at the start of opening hours to avoid inconveniencing other visitors, given the size of its delegation. The organisation said it was not aware of anyone being denied access to the monument but offered a "sincere apology for any pain or inconvenience caused."
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire voiced support for the protesting staff, calling the exclusion of women workers "unacceptable" and contrary to the values the Eiffel Tower should represent. He announced an immediate investigation. French Equality Minister Aurore Bergé also weighed in, stating that in France, women are not asked to erase themselves and that no religion stands above the laws of the Republic.
The incident has also drawn attention in India. The Ministry of External Affairs, responding to queries in New Delhi, said the matter is "purely between the entities concerned." On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's virtual address at the BAPS temple inauguration in Paris, the Ministry noted it is common practice for the PM to convey good wishes on such occasions.
The Eiffel Tower, which attracts nearly seven million visitors annually, was closed for the day on Monday as employees gathered to demand dialogue with management and assurances that such treatment of women would not recur.