Eiffel Tower staff protest gender restrictions during religious visit
About 100 people associated with the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) visited the Eiffel Tower on Saturday. The delegation had requested that the visit be organised to limit interactions with women, according to a summary of the incident
The Eiffel Tower was closed on Monday after staff went on strike over the removal of female employees from their work stations during a visit by a Hindu religious group, prompting an apology from the company operating the Paris landmark and an official investigation.
About 100 people associated with the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) visited the Eiffel Tower on Saturday. The delegation had requested that the visit be organised to limit interactions with women, according to a summary of the incident, says the BBC
Female employees were subsequently instructed to leave their work stations so that male staff could take their places.
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Diane Davoine, a staff union representative, said the female employees felt humiliated by the treatment.
Employees held a meeting on Monday morning and decided to strike to open a dialogue with management and ensure that women were never treated in such a way again.
Management apologises
Société d'Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), the company that operates the Eiffel Tower, apologised to staff and acknowledged that the conditions requested by the delegation should never have been accepted.
SETE said the arrangements violated principles of gender equality. Its president, Ariel Weil, called the practice unacceptable and reaffirmed the tower's commitment to republican values.
The BAPS temple in Paris also apologised for any pain or inconvenience caused by the visit. It said the trip had been arranged in advance with the Eiffel Tower team to avoid disrupting others, adding that it believed in mutual respect and service.
Investigation announced
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire announced an official investigation into the circumstances surrounding the visit, saying that gender equality must be applied everywhere.
The incident also drew criticism from several prominent French political figures, including Marine Le Pen, former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet.
They rejected the idea of restricting women's roles to accommodate foreign visitors or religious demands.
