The Eiffel Tower reopened on Tuesday following a one-day strike by staff protesting the sidelining of female employees during a visit by a Hindu religious group over the weekend. The demonstration closed the landmark on Monday as workers objected to instructions that required women to leave their posts and avoid contact with members of the visiting delegation.
According to statements from staff, female employees were asked to vacate certain areas and were replaced by male colleagues during the visit by members of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) on Saturday. The staff described the situation as contrary to France’s republican principle of gender equality and condemned the instructions as making them “invisible because of their sex.”
The Hindu organization, which was in Paris to consecrate its first major temple in continental Europe, acknowledged the incident and issued an apology. BAPS stated that to their knowledge, no one was denied access to the Eiffel Tower at any time but expressed regret for any offense or hurt caused. The group is known for building large Hindu temples worldwide and has ties to India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who sent a video message praising the new temple.
The tower’s operating company, Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), confirmed that it had agreed, incorrectly, to organize the visit in a way that limited interactions between the Hindu spiritual leader and women. SETE said such conditions do not align with its commitment to gender equality and neutrality in hosting visitors. Ariel Weil, SETE’s president and mayor of central Paris, said he was unaware of these “shocking and unacceptable” arrangements and reiterated the landmark’s commitment to republican values.
French political figures also condemned the incident. Emmanuel Grégoire, mayor of Paris, called the sidelining of women “unacceptable” and promised a full investigation into the matter. France’s Minister for Equality between Women and Men, Aurore Bergé, emphasized that no religion or dogma supersedes the laws of the French Republic, reaffirming the nation’s secular principles.
BAPS’ visit coincided with the inauguration of the new Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir in Paris, designed by the French architecture firm Arte Charpentier. The temple represents a milestone for Hindu cultural presence in Europe. However, the controversy over the exclusion of female staff at the iconic tourist site sparked wider discussions about religious accommodation and secular values in France.
The Eiffel Tower staff union described the experience as humiliating for the women involved and said that the monument, as a symbol of France, must uphold and exemplify equality and nondiscrimination. The strike ended after SETE committed to reviewing protocols for future visits to prevent any recurrence of similar incidents.