The head of the company managing the Eiffel Tower has announced he will step down at the end of the year following an incident in which female staff were excluded during a visit by a Hindu religious delegation. Patrick Branco Ruivo, director general of the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), which operates the Paris landmark, made the decision after an independent investigation identified a series of operational failures related to the visit on September 5.
The delegation was from the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a conservative Hindu organization belonging to the Swaminarayan sect. According to SETE, the group requested that interactions with women be limited during their visit, which ultimately led to female employees and contractors being sidelined and replaced by men—a move described in statements as “unacceptable.”
The situation sparked significant discontent among the Eiffel Tower staff, prompting a strike that led to the landmark’s closure on September 7. Union representatives condemned the management’s decision as “unacceptable,” highlighting concerns over discrimination and workplace equality.
Political figures in France also expressed criticism. Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of the National Assembly, emphasized that no woman should be made to “disappear” to accommodate foreign visitors, while Aurore Berge, the equality minister, underscored that “no dogma, no religion is above the laws of the Republic.” The episode prompted Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire to initiate two investigations: one conducted by SETE through an external consultancy and another by the city council, which owns 99 percent of SETE’s shares. The aim was to determine how the decision, deemed “absurd, unjust and unacceptable,” was made.
In response to the findings, SETE issued a statement acknowledging “operational flaws and shortcomings” that led to the exclusion of female staff during the visit. Ariel Weil, chairman of SETE’s board, praised Ruivo’s decision to step down and noted that efforts would be made over the coming months to ensure a smooth leadership transition.
Patrick Branco Ruivo has held his position since the end of 2018. The Eiffel Tower, one of the world’s most visited monuments with approximately seven million visitors annually, now faces both operational and reputational challenges in the aftermath of the incident. The case has highlighted tensions between accommodating international cultural practices and upholding France’s commitment to gender equality and labor rights.